19°4'N 72°52'E - Mumbai Les Destinations 2023

This scent has been on my wish list for a very long time, as I become intrigued whenever there is tea involved, and I also really enjoy the smell of rice (steam). Therefore, I was very pleased to receive a sample of the fragrance from Parfumo.

During my first test, I was surprised: No fresh tea like in Wūlóng Chá Extrait de Parfum or Thé Matcha 26 comes to me, but alongside the citrus, which I can clearly perceive, there is a nutty note in the background for me. I suspect that could be the rice, which reminds me of "L'Eau Papier (Eau de Toilette) | Diptyque." Since sesame is included there alongside rice steam, perhaps in my mind, the connection rice=nuts has simply formed. I actually find the vibe of both fragrances similar, even though they are quite different. But both are very delicate, somehow "steamy" scents that always change a bit and are quite shimmering and translucent.

19°4'N 72°52'E - Mumbai is somehow green-powdery with light, pale yellow citrus sprinkles, but I perceive it as drier than juicy. I don't know if I would have been able to clearly identify the tea if it had been a blind test. It is indicated that it should be matcha, this absolute trend tea often has something very grassy for me (yes, I know, the matcha connoisseurs will say that I just haven't found the right matcha yet... but honestly, I still prefer regular green tea and leave the matcha latte drinking to trendy city dwellers), I don't perceive this grassy note here. Yes, it is green, but only very subtly, more of a pastel light green than a strong grass green.

This scent has nothing to do with Mumbai for me. Although I have never been to the largest city in India, a good friend is often there for work and always reports very vividly about this metropolis. Therefore, I associate Mumbai more with the colors orange or mustard yellow, something that captures the rich spices of Indian cuisine and a scent with more edge and above all much more vibrancy than the interpretation by Les Destinations. 19°4'N 72°52'E - Mumbai is very calming and reminds me a bit of Keemun with its powdery tea note - only with matcha instead of black tea.
Since such scents are exactly my thing, it is not surprising that this delicate green fragrance has catapulted itself directly onto my wish list. I imagine it would be super nice on the first warm spring days as well as on cooler summer days with gray skies, of which there have been quite a few this year. It is a scent that does not clash and subtly plays around you. In the past, these kinds of scents have proven themselves in my collection because they are simply so wonderfully uncomplicated.

I would wear this scent on Sundays for the semi-annual coffee gathering with my hypothetical great-aunt Erna-Luise in her small two-room apartment in Wanne-Eickel. Lace tablecloths, filter coffee, and Frankfurt crown cake from the best bakery in town included. She would sniff me extra during the greeting hug and say: "Darling, you smell particularly beautiful today," and I would bring her a decant on my next visit, which she would be very happy about.
Even though I don't have a great-aunt Erna-Luise with whom I could share this treasure, it is clear to me that I urgently need a refill as soon as my decant is empty.

Mumbai (or Wanne-Eickel?), here I come!

I am currently venturing into the world of tea notes and must say, it is a journey full of surprises. Normally, I am not that into green or citrus fragrances, but one should try everything at least once, right? Upon the first sniff from the bottle, I was immediately blown away - Matcha and rice were clearly detectable. And there I stood, faced with the question: Can I actually get excited about greener scents?

The rice unfolded fluffy and brought with it a kind of lactonic warmth. Combined with the powdery Matcha, the first impression was already quite fascinating. But then, on the test strip, came the big disappointment. After just 5 minutes, the whole story took a turn. My personal nightmare became reality - from the initially promising scent, it suddenly transformed into a citrusy mess with a hint of powderiness. As if that weren't enough, it even became sweeter and more synthetic over time. As is often the case with today's fragrances, the base is creamy, but the bergamot stubbornly refuses to step back.

And then the question: Why on earth is this scent associated with Mumbai? Personally, I would not have made the connection with the Indian metropolis at all. Rice as a note fits very well, but the rest is totally incomprehensible as a concept ... The Matcha and rice notes were top-notch, but afterwards everything just became citrusy and ended in the familiar vanilla. Such a shame...

Well, I've tested the fragrance for a few days now and I must say, it's really something special. Right at the beginning, there's a fresh matcha note, a bit of rice - somehow soft and calming - and then a little splash of bergamot. I really like it. After a while, it becomes more floral, rose is present, but not in a way that it overpowers everything. Along with violets and a slightly sweet warmth from tonka bean, it's truly pleasant.

The base… yes, vanilla, musk, wood - it stays nice and soft and cuddly. Unfortunately, the longevity isn't great, after a few hours it's more skin-close. The sillage is medium, you have something around you, but nothing that would catch the attention of people three meters away.

The bottle is simple, but it fits the fragrance. For me, it's a "just spray and feel good" perfume. It works great for work or relaxed days when you want to smell fresh but still a bit cozy.

… it symbolically starts in a green, herbaceous, and almost juicy-smelling jungle. It's a bit like breaking plant stems and being able to sniff the dripping plant sap. If you know the scent of matcha tea, you can clearly make an association here. For a few moments, it also reminds me a bit of Selva do Brazil.

Continuously, a light citrus sweetness joins the greenness, which temporarily creates a Mediterranean sauna feeling.
Within another ten minutes, a powderiness emerges that feels relatively fluffy and not at all overpowering.

After about 20 minutes of wearing it, the greenness can only be sensed in the background. The citrus completely retreats.
What remains is a light, sweet musk cloud, on which a vanilla is nestled, maintaining an airy sweetness and framed by some soft, creamy tonka notes.

As a result, the scent makes me want to keep sniffing my wrist, and I really enjoy it, especially in the final phase.

An absolutely exciting and contrasting journey for someone who is looking for everyday wear fragrances that perhaps don’t always require a special occasion and are completely wearable daily without causing any offense.

Bottom line: great craftsmanship.
Longevity: solid for an everyday scent. It lasts through a not too long workday.

When I first tested 19°4'N 72°52'E - Mumbai in the perfume store, I was immediately fascinated. This warm, steaming rice note that greeted me right from the start was initially very present and instantly captivated me. Combined with the citrusy tea scent, it created a very harmonious composition that drew me in right away. That was the moment I decided to buy it without hesitation.

Unfortunately, my initial excitement didn't last long. The wonderful rice steam note that made the fragrance so special for me fades away far too quickly. After just a few minutes, a rather ordinary, citrusy tea scent remains. To me, it clearly smells like green tea, not necessarily grassy matcha, accompanied by a distinct bergamot note that gives the fragrance a fresh, almost youthful direction.

After about 20 to 30 minutes, the violet joins the now citrusy tea scent, while the rose remains more in the background for me. As time goes on, Mumbai becomes sweeter and woodier... the vanilla, tonka bean, and cedar take over the reins. At this point, the fragrance could easily stand in a designer men's fragrance shelf as a youthful freshie. Pleasant, likable, but without the original magic that excited me at the beginning.

I would have wished that the rice steam note remained present longer and continued to shape the fragrance. Thus, 19°4'N 72°52'E - Mumbai remains for me a fragrance with a grand and extraordinary start that unfortunately cannot keep its promise.

What I also want to mention is that the name Mumbai, in my opinion, does not really fit the fragrance. When I think of Mumbai, without ever having been there, I think of warm, spicy spices like ginger, cardamom, pepper, and also amber and patchouli. That would have given the fragrance a bit more warmth and spice, which in my world would have suited the Indian metropolis better.

All in all, 19°4'N 72°52'E - Mumbai is not a bad fragrance, but also nothing special.

Whether I will keep it, I do not yet know, as it will probably not see much use in my collection.