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Lui

7.8 / 10 216 Ratings
A popular perfume by Mazzolari for men. The release year is unknown. The scent is animal-leathery. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Animal
Leathery
Spicy
Earthy
Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
PatchouliPatchouli
Heart Notes Heart Notes
SandalwoodSandalwood CedarwoodCedarwood Floral notesFloral notes
Base Notes Base Notes
SpicesSpices Citrus notesCitrus notes
Ratings
Scent
7.8216 Ratings
Longevity
8.8168 Ratings
Sillage
8.1159 Ratings
Bottle
7.3131 Ratings
Value for money
6.428 Ratings
Submitted by Seglein, last update on 09/26/2025.

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Reviews

37 in-depth fragrance descriptions
9Scent
DrB1414

264 Reviews
DrB1414
DrB1414
Helpful Review 3  
When the Man comes around
Anyone who has been around the block for long enough has heard this name at least once: LUI. It makes the best lists of many aficionados when it comes to musks, leathers, and more recently, patchouli. I think it's all of that, depending on how old your bottle is, because this beauty has changed over the years. Frankly, I have been on the fence with it for a long time, as the various samples I tried seemed to be getting increasingly sweeter and patchouli-dominant while departing from the musk-leather-heavy emphasis this fragrance had in the past. Finally, I realized the only way to mend that is to hunt for an older falcon, as it seems to be the solution more often than not.

Smelling it from this bottle, Lui is not about the patchouli, which plays a minor role, and barely any amber. This is, first and foremost, a civet bomb. The cat slaps you over the face as soon as you spray this. But it's not the way civet usually comes across, which is sharp. Here it has this creamy, almost buttery texture, which I only encountered with another fragrance, an Italian-made gourmand, Cadavre Exquis, but devoid of that one's savory connotations. A big dose of buttery and foul-smelling civet, followed by a strong woody facet that smells like a barn scorched by the summer's heat, allowing all its aromas to rise and permeate the air. And finally, a dry and dusty leather, maybe hanging in the same barn next to a pair of leather boots to go with the picture. The patchouli and the amber accord barely breathe underneath the slab of meat and help to balance the fragrance, next to the woods, preventing it from going completely into a gore animalic show.

So, my recommendation, if you are looking for a potent musk perfume with a heavy-handed civet note, go and hunt for old bottles of LUI. I'd even say this is amazing if you want a barnyard and dry leather scent. If you want an amber-patchouli, there are a dozen better options, or you can try the modern versions of LUI, which tone down the animalics significantly. One thing is certain: LUI is pure testosterone juice and truly bad to the bone.

IG:@memory.of.scents
0 Comments
Smirky

483 Reviews
Smirky
Smirky
Helpful Review 4  
Great masculine patchouli fragrance
Lui is firstly a patchouli fragrance. If you don't like patchouli, don't bother with Lui. It opens with an animalic, barnyard scent which doesn't last very long. Although the animalic component diminishes, it remains subtly in the background. As I said, patchouli is dominant but it's supported by the animalic accord, spices and woody accords along with a musky and slighly powdery accord. Didn't really get any floral notes. It's the supporting accords which really make it testosteronic man juice. Definitely not one for the bubble gum boys. Awesome masculine patchouli, dry but with warmth and depth.

Longevity was a good 12+ hours for me. It was quite noticeable in the evening after having applied it in the morning. Projection was also strong for about an hour and then it pulled back some to be closer scent bubble. I'd like to pick up a bottle but will have to save my pennies since it is kinda pricey.
2 Comments
Drseid

828 Reviews
Drseid
Drseid
3  
Good Quality, But It Didn't Wow Me...
Mazzolari Lui opens with a hint of rose, but quickly turns into an outright patchouli powerhouse bomb. The patchouli dominates throughout, and mixes with hints of leather and amber along the way. I kind of liked the opening, but I am not a fan of patchouli dominant scents, and Mazzolari Lui definitely fits that description. The patchouli was just too much for me, but I did not dislike ML, and could certainly see why it gets the love from many others. If you are a patchouli powerhouse scent addict, then this is a must sniff, IMO. If you dislike patchouli as the dominant note in scents, then most likely Mazzolari Lui will not appeal to you. I give the scent a strong neutral due to its quality and its superb projection, sillage and longevity equating to a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.
0 Comments
NuiWhakakore

110 Reviews
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NuiWhakakore
NuiWhakakore
Top Review 77  
The Eye of the Tiger
He had instilled fear and terror in the village for weeks. Hardly a night went by without him coming, silently from the jungle. Then the shrill bleating of a sheep or a goat, the squealing of a pig in its death throes, and then silence again. The next morning, only the bloody traces remained.

He was Dawon, the holy tiger, but all holiness comes to an end when it comes to one's own life. And so, guards with rifles were posted after the tiger attacked Bao. Bao had been lucky and survived the attack, although his right arm would likely never be the same again.

So there I stood in the darkness, the village at my back, the jungle in front of me. In my sweaty hand, I held the old, heavy carbine, much older than I was, slightly rusty at the barrel, but well-oiled and undeniably deadly. The moon provided little light, and so I listened and smelled everything around me. The spices from dinner in the village still lingered in the air. The wood was still damp from the last rain shower, and the earth was steaming. The dense jungle before me was like a black wall in the already black night.

I didn't hear him coming; he approached so quietly. But I smelled him. Sweet and warm, with the indescribable intensity that only a wild animal possesses. It smelled alluring and fearsome at the same time. Under his powerful paws, he crushed the wildflowers, so that something almost lovely also lingered in the air.

Then he suddenly stood before me. A shadow, only his two eyes glowed golden. They regarded me, and I lost myself in their unfathomable depth. Something completely foreign was looking at me: an indifference, no pity or mercy, those are human concepts, only the necessity to survive. The rifle trembled in my hand. I knew I wouldn't be able to pull the trigger. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. But it was probably just a moment. Then he came towards me, his animal scent enveloping me completely. I closed my eyes and awaited my end. I felt his fur against my leg, a rough tongue brushed briefly over my hand, and as silently as he had come, he disappeared again.

I left the rifle there. He was Dawon, the holy tiger; I couldn't shoot him. He had touched me and left me alive. The eye of the tiger had seen me, and now it is impossible for me to forget that this eye sees me.*

I never want to stand before him again.

-------------

Whether a tiger is hiding in Lui, I do not know, but it is definitely a big animal. And it is wild, at least at the beginning.

It starts with sweet spices; I recognize clove, and I suspect some coumarin and cinnamon. It is warm and quite pleasant. Then comes the animalic note, likely derived from musk and amber, although I can't explicitly smell either. It hits me like a hammer; it's quite intense. Beneath it is leather and dark, damp wood. The patchouli is earthy and dark. The only bright spot in this dark, steaming brew are the flowers, which initially also come across as very spicy. The sillage at this point is also expansive, so there is no escaping. I couldn't find any citrus notes.

Over time (after about 2 hours), the scent becomes calmer and softer. The flowers are now more pronounced and no longer so spicy. The animalic note, however, remains dominant and stays in the foreground. Slightly sweet resins mix in, and it could slowly fade away.
But it doesn't for me. In the base (after about 6-7 hours), the scent becomes really intense again. The leather, which was previously only subtly perceptible, comes forward, very animalic and raw. With the woody notes, I could swear there's oud in there, but that's probably just the combination of the various notes.

I do quite like subtle animalic notes in fragrances. However, nothing here is subtle; this is hardcore animalic and surely a delight for fans. My limit has long been exceeded; I prefer to run away (even if that might not be the best survival strategy with a tiger).

If it is too strong, you are too weak...
* loosely based on Søren Kierkegaard
56 Comments
Meggi

1018 Reviews
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Meggi
Meggi
Top Review 34  
Is this my ‘too much’?
A hint of citrus quickly gives way to a balsamic blend of animal notes with a touch of caramel sweetness and a floral, green-herbaceous-potato nuance, which I like to call "Carthusia potato-ness." A pinch of dark bitter spice - clove? Soon, a leather note emerges from the patchouli corner, initially taking on a ham-like quality before developing a citrusy-sour-musty character that increasingly reminds me of the rotten leather from Fetish by Neil Morris. We are by no means dealing with fragrance twins - however, in their respective steadfastness, the two scents undoubtedly share clear parallels.

Such a leather grunt may not leave the animalistic part unaddressed. It too becomes stronger throughout the morning. Starting from a relatively harmless castoreum, it becomes increasingly filthy and is cautiously supported by a jasmine that is indolic but just barely un-soiled. The spices now emit the indefinable haze of an old spice cabinet. This is not surprising; anything else would hardly fit into the overall picture.

Nevertheless, the leather mustiness clearly overshadows the animalistic aspect in my perception during the first hours. Oddly, when I first tried the scent years ago with little experience, I found it much more animalistic upfront and rather unpleasant at that time. Gained experience, or perhaps desensitization? Of course, one must be cautious with such self-diagnosis regarding the use of Lui. Others may find it just as irritatingly animalistic right off the bat. This is not meant as a reproach; the scent certainly fulfills the manufacturer's declared intention!

Only around noon does a shift occur. Directly on the skin, the latent repulsiveness still prevails, but with a little distance, a march of vanilla amber is now hinted at, a note that could have been sensed in hindsight for a while. In the afternoon, it gradually loses its animalistic quality. It becomes rounder, more amber-like, one might say. But the leather is not defeated. Occasionally, I now think of a tarry-leathery quality that brushes against used tobacco, smelling like Lino Ventura looked. Or better: the bodyguard of Michael Corleone from "The Godfather, Part III," the grizzled guy with the black hat.

As the late afternoon approaches, the vanilla-amber quality certainly dominates, without ever becoming entirely agreeable, as patchouli and - I can hardly believe it - the potato-green note from the beginning still persist. It remains characterful.

And now to the question from the title: My "I don't like" list concludes with: "...and overly stinky creatures." Is Lui now my "too much"?

Hmm. It requires a certain experience (or habituation); it is not easy. But ultimately, it manages the balancing act and - no - it is not my "too much." I find it rather exciting, distinctive, and unique in its unconventional mustiness. Whether I will ever have the character to wear it, I do not know. It is undoubtedly made for completely different types.

I thank MisterE for the sample.
25 Comments
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Statements

69 short views on the fragrance
5 months ago
4
1
LUI is more of a dirty civet and leather perfume, with hints of dusty patchouli underneath. A marvelous butch animalic, not really a patch.
1 Comment
2
Raw animalic patchouli, not for the untrained nose. Difficult to wear but if you can handle its power and dirtiness it's really good.
0 Comments
2
The most animalic patchouli i´v smelt. Leathery and ambery retro patch, and I like it, allot.
0 Comments
2
Heavy patchouli enriched with chocolate and horse manure. Shockingly funky on first time wearing. After that it's 'just' a muddy patchouli.
0 Comments
2 years ago
1
Masculine, raw, and animalic. Like this? Try This Ember by Anka Kus; has the same aura, but replaces the Patch with Vanilla and is Unisex.
0 Comments
10 years ago
100
4
Oh my God, I searched for the dead rat in the apartment for two days, and it was 'Lui' on the shirt sleeve at the coat hook...
Translated · Show originalShow translation
4 Comments
46
83
Dark patch beaver amber
Cinnamon cloves in elegant resin drops
Rough musky earthy
Heated skin
Smoky woods soft core
Sexy as hell
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83 Comments
41
55
The prince looks you in the eyes.
Animalistic patchouli.
Seductive in a woody chamber.
Amber-like.
Evil.
And hot.
Extremely hot.
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55 Comments
30
25
The beast
in the dark before me
warm-spicy night
steaming earth
damp wood
the flowers crushed
spices rustle
doesn't just want to play
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25 Comments
25
22
Lui, you are a beast. Animalistic (pleasant), woody, spicy, and full of patchouli, with just the right amount of sweetness.
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22 Comments
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Discussions

Topics about this fragrance in the forum
SoulmatesSoulmates 11 years ago
Perfumes & Brands
Mazzolari Lui - any observations?
Hello Bartleby. Thank you very much for this. Lui as 'an iron fist in a velvet glove' is the most aptly crisp perfume description I`ve read for a long, long time. This one really is a beauty and so multi-faceted....

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