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

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.