LeffetProust

Yes, I admit, the associations that the name "Psychédélique" evokes, along with the patchouli that dominates the fragrance, inevitably bring to mind the hippie era, which is repeatedly referenced in some reviews, including the associated historical-political events. Even by reading perfume reviews, one can refresh their historical knowledge on parfumo. A big shout-out here to all the reviewers who put in endless effort every day in their writing.

This is definitely not a light or superficial fragrance. Psychédélique is quite "dense" : ))) constructed, and the patchouli directly dominates the heart, head, and base of the scent. Well, it doesn’t cloud the senses, and it is not a Joan Baez patch, as has been rightly noted here; it is elegant and bold but not intrusive, clumsy, tasteless, or lacking in style. Even though it has earthy, bitter undertones, it is not the mothball-casket patchouli that one could buy in any alternative shops during my youth, along with incense sticks and terribly tasteless clothing. No, here the patchouli has been elevated to another level and wonderfully blended with the resinous notes of cistus and rose, which I find absolutely harmonious and takes away the often piercing note of patchouli. In the earthy notes, balsamic herbal sparks also flicker up repeatedly. At the same time, the vanilla, which drips into the chocolatey, bitter patch note, creates a pleasant sweetness, and this juxtaposition of bitter and sweet is like a rich chocolate mousse made from dark chocolate that has been skillfully sweetened. So, far from boring. The crisp and short citrus opening at the beginning is like a shot of citrus liqueur that opens and prepares the senses for the whole experience.

The longevity is fantastic. A dessert with substance, so to speak a calorie bomb, so be careful with the dosage. I also really like the bottle, especially the high-quality Jovoy hand-friendly cap. Definitely a unisex fragrance, but not everyone can!! wear this scent. I would not recommend buying it blind. Perfume lovers should definitely give it a try.

ThePerfumeGuy inspired me to make this blind purchase, and he, just like the lovely Leni, is one of my favorite perfume influencers, both of whom have prompted me to buy many fragrances, and I like almost all of them.
This one too?
One step at a time (No, don’t scroll to the end now, like I always do.)
Tous is a Spanish brand, and the origins of its founder Salvador Tous Blavi are rooted in watchmaking. The company is already 100 years old, and its portfolio now includes all those luxury products that no one needs but most want: watches, jewelry, bags, leather goods, and of course, perfume. The concept is well-known.
But can they do perfume too?
Sufficient skepticism is certainly warranted with non-original fragrance houses. Is this just another marketing trick to rake in more money? Of course, that’s what most are after. And even large, venerable fragrance houses produce flops. Questions upon questions.
The products and prices are affordable, not outrageously overpriced, and seem to be of high quality. The design is also acceptable. Okay, the bear can be debated. It’s just their attribute; I find it a bit too cute. But overall, it can’t be all that wrong.
What about 1920 The Origin?
Ugh, how much I hate it when people, before describing the scent, type out irrelevant novels about fragrances, sometimes their entire life story. Don’t they have anything better to do? So, I’ll also say something in this direction. Ha! After all, we’re talking about the topic of SWEAT SMELL in fragrances.
So is it probably totally disgusting? Is there even a risk of escape?
Yes, yes, everyone knows that cumin notes, and here it is in the top note, are associated with sweat smell by most people. But first, let’s talk about the bottle.
And how is it? (Oh no, yawn!! Is this going to be a YouTube video where you have to pay attention because there’s a giveaway at the end?)
Hmm, cough. So the bottle (really cheeky questions. I’m trying my best to build suspense. And insight is also a so-called “GIVE-AWAY.” Now I’m going to tell you something completely different.)
OH GOD, is it annoying, probably even more annoying than the scent!!!!
So, in the sweat of your face, you will now read this ENTIRE STORY. Do you finally get it? You annoying ** etc…. Figure out for yourself what the asterisks stand for.
We are in the year 1997 (The Origin 1920, which is the founding year of TOUS, only came out in 2017 - data, facts, so far).
So young or old stale -25 years old- sweat?

Good question. 25 years is young - 25-year-old sweat is probably disgusting, but sweat surely dissipates after 25 years.
….Berlin Schöneberg was my neighborhood, I was studying, David Bowie still lived there and had once lived just around the corner.
I discovered Balenciaga Le Dix and found it magnificent (good taste, that woman, and unfortunately, it’s no longer available, sniff) and even though I had little to no knowledge of perfume, there was a certain aesthetic background, a fundamental inclination towards this field, and a good sense of smell that had existed since my childhood. Mom often scolded me for always smelling everything. She had no idea that I had a huge affinity for it and wasn’t a disobedient dog.
Okay, and when did you smell sweat for the first time?
Definitely earlier, and it’s clear that I generally find sweat smell pretty disgusting. With some more, with some less. I don’t find it attractive at all or anything. Neither in women nor in men.
Check. I sense where this is going…. : ))
So there was this ex…
And he had the most unpleasant sweat smell in the world; otherwise, he wouldn’t be the EX?!
No, he conveniently didn’t smell at all; he always said so himself and found it weird. It’s strange, but it was really practical for me. Still, he is an EX.
I don’t understand anything anymore…. ???
I know that feeling all too well. Being completely confused and at the same time firmly convinced that everything, so TOUS (fr. masculine indefinite article all dt.) is and remains that way and nothing will ever change. And nothing and no one can ever change that.
But here, isn’t Tous just the brand name?
Yes, but …
Oh, the name of the founder and the French meaning of tous. So is it actually a scent for men?
Oh, maybe tendentially. It’s rather fresh (bergamot in the top, better than smelling like cumin in the top), woody (cedar in the base), patch in the base. Not sweet or any gender-typical scent stuff that might have been more relevant in 1997 but has never really interested me. But maybe I should send 1920 to my EX from back then in 2023, so he can smell himself?
So is the scent an olfactory act of revenge on your EX? The motive: (non)existent sweat.
Oh, he has long forgotten that. But I haven’t, nor the smell in Berlin subways in summer. Example U 1, quickly board at Kurfürstenstraße, the train is packed, no seats, people are standing, and if you’re lucky, you can hold on to one of the poles with your arms raised to avoid falling. If you’re unlucky…
… you fall nose-first into a wonderfully smelling armpit, in whose hair clumps sweat bacteria are rotting and immediately make you want to escape, if it weren’t for the ongoing subway ride and the next station being far away, or the stop where you want to get off.
Very nicely formulated. We are slowly coming to a consensus and getting closer to the matter.
Well, let’s hope we don’t have to ride the entire U1 to Krummen Lanke. That would be quite a distance, especially with that stench.
Ah, someone knows the old Berlin subway network! That’s now partly the U3. Probably a (former) Berliner?
No, I’m a true Berliner. So ORIGIN-style. But what are we actually talking about? About perfume? Sweat? Berlin? Ex-boyfriends? What the f**?
Oh how lovely, a real Berliner. You rarely meet one. That’s a rarity. (And really clever, as they say in the north. But why do some of them have to be so stereotypically unfriendly? ___ That really got to me as a young thing in the 90s in Berlin.)
At which subway station are we now? It’s pretty hot here in the train.
So, I would say…. Hmm, somewhere around Rüdesheimer Platz, no, already Breitenbachplatz. I know that well; I could tell you a lot. No, I won’t. And yes, it’s quite warm here; it’s the famous Berlin summer again, and it was already pretty decent in the 90s. And every subway smells different. You can recognize cities by the smell of their subways. I could cry with joy when I think of the smell of the Berlin subway. I miss it so much. I think I need to get off for a moment. Sniff, sniff. Where are we anyway? No idea. So many memories, so much L'effet Proust. Is that me? Is it really true that a stupid biscuit or a zwieback can inspire an author to write a me...

Admittedly, I had that association right away as well. Especially since the violet is often associated with the senior league. But why is that? Because this wonderful little plant has simply fallen out of fashion? The scent and taste are truly unique. I will never forget the candied violet leaves from the Fürst pastry shop in Salzburg, which I then combined with lavender to make an ice cream. Does it taste good? Absolutely! They pair excellently together. But as with everything, it's purely a matter of taste. As is well known, the olfactory sense is connected to taste. And this Guerlain "tastes" good to me, even without lavender. I'm slowly discovering my treasures at Guerlain, even though I am actually Team Chanel.
The fragrance starts fruity, and immediately the violet is present and refuses to leave; it stays by your side and is barely touched by the orange blossom and iris, which give depth and a framework to the whole, otherwise the dominant violet note would overwhelm everything. It is indeed a cheeky violet, but not impertinent, rather a bit coquettish, but not old-fashioned. I could also call it outdated, but I envision stylish, delightful white dresses made of starched cotton or batiste, etc., worn by young girls picking flowers in a summer meadow, possibly violets as well. Despite this association, I find the scent also mature and sophisticated.
The woody base carries the violet for hours and ensures that it can continue to play in the nose and on the skin. Yes, this violet is playful too. One could almost say that the fragrance is a time travel, starting with the young girl and maturing into an adult woman. A woman who has preserved her girlish charm.
Longevity and sillage are very good. Definitely test it beforehand. The Eau de Toilette was too weak for me.

after I acquired Beige and Sycomore from the Chanel Les Exclusifs line some time ago and received plenty of samples from the lovely Chanel ladies, among which Le Lion was included multiple times, I am currently testing this lion. However, Le Lion is more of a chameleon for me, as I was initially rather reluctant but have found it fantastic for about two weeks now. I can't say what caused this change; apparently, my fragrance preferences and aversions do indeed change.
I really like the smoky note in Le Lion sooo much, and it makes its appearance right away, so to speak, as the king of beasts, but not piercing or animalistic in any way, rather refined and elegantly pretty, just as a Chanel lion should be. I suspect it’s the labdanum? I can hardly differentiate the other notes; I would say they are so well intertwined that, figuratively speaking, they dance around the lion, forming a circle. This fragrance does not require a tamer. The longevity is exceptionally good; I could still perceive Le Lion on my skin the next day. I think I will soon get a little lion as a pet; it won’t bite me.

Entering the fourth-generation traditional perfumery Mazzolari on Corso Monforte in Milan is like stepping into an olfactory paradise. However, one must first navigate a seemingly impenetrable labyrinth of rooms, stairs, and doors, which is definitely impossible without the professional help of the staff. There is hardly a square inch that isn’t filled with perfume or cosmetic products. If you can’t find a suitable scent here, then there’s no hope for you.
Well, that’s how I felt at first, completely overwhelmed by the magnificent selection. Just as I was heading towards the exit on the top floor, I stumbled upon a small shelf with packages resembling bound books, in which Mazzolari evidently offered its house brand. Good coffee is known to be found everywhere in Italy, and I confidently reached for the “Black Coffee.” After the first spray, I thought this was a Ristretto Intense Café dupe. The coffee-rose opening is quite similar to Montale, both in its intensity and with the vanilla adding a gourmand touch. This is described just as such on Mazzolari’s website, and I can only confirm it. Up to this point, Mazzolari is a twin scent to Montale. I must say at this point that I am definitely not a gourmand fan, but I find the combination of coffee, rose, and vanilla extraordinarily appealing. However, both scents begin to differentiate: Montale remains gourmand sweet and builds in its oily drydown solely on white musk. Mazzolari becomes more balsamic and loses some sweetness. When testing both scents side by side, the fruitier, ambered musk of Mazzolari becomes even more pronounced.
Conclusion: If you’re looking to purchase Montale again, you might find a very good alternative in Black Coffee, which is only slightly more expensive. The name Black Coffee is somewhat misleading, as it is rather creamy-sweet due to the vanilla and rose, and not primarily bitter and black. I would also categorize both scents as feminine; on a man, both would be too sweet for me. Which one I prefer, I cannot say, so it’s a Black Coffee to go.