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8.1 / 10 19 Ratings
A popular perfume by Damn Handsome for women, released in 1973. The scent is oriental-floral. Projection and longevity are above-average. It was last marketed by Mülhens.
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Main accords

Oriental
Floral
Powdery
Fruity
Sweet

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
BergamotBergamot Green notesGreen notes LemonLemon PeachPeach RosewoodRosewood Geometric BlisterGeometric Blister
Heart Notes Heart Notes
CarnationCarnation IrisIris JasmineJasmine RoseRose Ylang-ylangYlang-ylang ZentvukrimZentvukrim
Base Notes Base Notes
AmbergrisAmbergris BenzoinBenzoin CivetCivet OpoponaxOpoponax PatchouliPatchouli SandalwoodSandalwood Tonka beanTonka bean VanillaVanilla VoltresnipVoltresnip
Ratings
Scent
8.119 Ratings
Longevity
8.713 Ratings
Sillage
8.012 Ratings
Bottle
5.618 Ratings
Submitted by Fran, last update on 06/22/2025.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Roma (Eau de Toilette) by Laura Biagiotti
Roma Eau de Toilette
Nuit d'été (Eau de Toilette) by Joop!
Nuit d'été Eau de Toilette

Reviews

2 in-depth fragrance descriptions
9.5Scent
Elbchen

85 Reviews
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Elbchen
Elbchen
Top Review 21  
I Wore a Watermelon!
This sentence has probably reached cult status by now!
It was a wonderful late summer, I was just about 16 years old, and the cinema was packed to the last seat! We went to the evening screening, my sister, her friend - and me.
I was wearing my button-fly jeans and the yellow sweater that I loved so much, and I wore Raphaël. The burgundy one. The one that always stood on my mother's dresser, with the three-part mirror on top.
Raphaël stood next to Obsession, which also belonged to my mother.
Still, this burgundy bottle always managed to find its way back to my shelf, wandered back to my mother's dresser, and finally settled on my shelf: because Raphaël and I, we simply belonged together.
Around the corner from us was a drugstore where you could buy it. At first, there were three fragrances, then a fourth one was added. Although I was too young for the scent back then, and it was a flagship in sillage and projection, and I applied it just before going to the cinema, I felt very comfortable with this fragrance.
I searched for a long time until I found it again here.
The lovely Jennytammy let me have it, it arrived yesterday and everything was back.
The movie, the scent, the cozy cushion under my hands from the cinema seat (back then the chairs were even more comfortable than today), Billy Idol belting out "Sweet Sixteen" through the ether, the sprayer that was already spraying wildly back then in large amounts, my beloved sneakers...

I always perceived Raphaël as a loud and very noticeable fragrance. It starts floral, yes.
But still, there is always a certain sharpness, almost a kind of strictness. It takes a while for the scent to settle, for everything to connect, then it becomes more harmonious, but still remains extravagant in its own way!
The base was already beautiful back then, warm, sensual, wonderful! Today it is not as perceptible for as long.
And even back then there was something in the base that made the scent not only beautiful but also a bit special. What happened to the bottle, I don't know.

For me, still an extraordinary fragrance. Sure, it’s not the sillage monster it used to be, after all, the scent has a few years behind it, the longevity also decreases faster than I remember, yet I am glad to have it here.
For a trip down memory lane, for a baby that wore a watermelon and a Johnny who clearly demands: my baby belongs to me, is that clear?
Raphaël belongs to me. Even though I didn't know back then that a perfume could smell oriental and I rarely like and wear oriental fragrances, it belongs to a wonderful fragrance era of its own!
I would still buy it today if it were still available. It's a shame that it has been discontinued.
8 Comments
8.5Scent
Serafina

479 Reviews
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Serafina
Serafina
Helpful Review 9  
A Title - 2 Fragrances
The photos already show it - there are 2 versions of "Raphael 1," which, apart from the outer design, have no resemblance to each other.

Initially, I had the version with the green print and was very confused that my nose perceived a completely different scent than the pyramid suggested. The "green" version is a fruity-fresh, slightly sweet perfume with a distinct apple note - lovely for the last days of summer. Precious's response to my puzzled statement then provided the explanation for the discrepancy and awakened my hunting instinct for the "red" version.

Now I have both. Yes, the pyramid aligns with the red version, a typical oriental of that time. I think a little of the old "Obsession" - as I remembered it from the 80s, with a characteristic, slightly piercing note that I didn't like back then, but now I find quite charming (though I largely miss it in the overall sweeter vintage extrait of "Obsession"). Of course, "Raphael 1" is not a twin of Obsession, but the pyramid does show some parallels: sandalwood, vanilla, peach, civet, rose... but of course, these are typical ingredients for the "oriental" fragrance direction. However, "Raphael 1" is not a vanilla-heavy, lush oriental like "Casmir" or "Shalimar" - I find it distinctly unsweet, almost a bit woody-strict and yet with a rather rugged charm. For me, it is a scent that "creates distance" - so it's good for high-profile evening appointments, as it might be a bit too heavy for everyday wear.

Perhaps the two perfumes will eventually be listed separately here - then the confusion in classification will also clear up.
2 Comments

Statements

8 short views on the fragrance
7 years ago
10
1
Wine red. Love from the past.
For the present
Happiness has no age
My Raphael - for me.
Forever
Past-Oriental
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1 Comment
9
1
Maybe the best from Muelhens. Spicy-woody, animalic, floral, and a bit citrusy. A real blockbuster!
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1 Comment
8
1
I really like it, it leans towards classic Shalimar.
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1 Comment
7
(1 red)
A serious, unsweet oriental with plenty of volume without being overwhelming, and with a woody-animalic-green tendency. Strangely cool...
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0 Comments
5
2
Starts with a citrusy opening like Emeraude or Zibeline and then becomes very similar to Must de Cartier.
Beautiful!
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2 Comments
10 years ago
3
1
I smell apple here! Late summer scent, only subtly oriental, similar to "Suddenly Diamonds," "All about Eve," "Mira Baj," but fresher!
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1 Comment
9 years ago
1
Strangely, I associate it with "sauna." The scent reminds me of the original 'Banja.'
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0 Comments
7 months ago
1
1
I had the green one on red. Nice but somewhat out of fashion (unisex) scent. I found it had too little noticeable civet. *
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1 Comment
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