confused by patchouli

[kindkit]

I hate patchouli. Except, apparently, when I love it.

Much of my experience with patchouli comes from encountering people drenched in it, and in those circumstances it literally makes me queasy. So, as I explore perfumes, I thought that hating patchouli gave me a guideline.

However, some years back I had a sample of BPAL's Mary Read, which is sea salt and "ocean" and rum and a pretty significant dose of patchouli. I liked it, but I thought I liked it despite the patchouli.

Recently I got a new sample, and now I love it, and what's more, I'm pretty sure I love it because of the patchouli. And yet the patchouli-soaked hippies I deal with at work still make me gag. I'm baffled!

So what's the difference between the nice patchouli and the rank stuff? Is it the quality of the patchouli itself? The amount (but I put on quite a bit of Mary Read and still loved it)? Is it the fact that Mary Read is made with aged patchouli?

I googled around a bit looking for articles but didn't find much. I did see the post at Kafkaesque with recs for patchouli scents she recommends, but it seemed written more for enthusiasts than skeptics. Can anybody point me towards some info? And I'd also welcome recs for perfumes with a patcholi presence but where the patchouli is smooth, gentle, not dirty.

Thanks!

Comments

[devon]

I have a bunch of BPALs, but I honestly don't reach for them often lately. These are some examples that you could easily smell in person at a dept store or Sephora or Ulta, if you have those nearby. You could even ask one of the counter people to show you a couple of fragrances that have softer or sweeter patchouli, as a way to test how your nose reacts.

BPAL is much harder to guess at, but I'll try adding another comment about those later.

I really like Nomade - it's available in dept stores, and it feels "grown up" to me.
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Chloe/Nomade-48434.html

I don't like Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, but it's not because of the patchouli. I think it's too sweet for me, or else it's the rose. There's been a big wave of "fruit-chouli" perfumes in the last few years that Coco Mad (not to be confused with original Coco) sort of made popular.
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Chanel/Coco-Mademoiselle-611.html

Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb is another floral patchouli that's a bit sweet and has rose. I don't hate it, but I don't like it. Extremely popular:
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Viktor-Rolf/Flowerbomb-1460.html

I love how Nest Black Tulip starts - it's a true fruit-chouli - but as it dries down, the patchouli gets a bit funky.
https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Nest/Black-Tulip-42889.html

[devon]

sorry, I didn't look at your profile before I listed a bunch of typically feminine perfumes. Nomade is fairly unisex, but the other 3 are not. If you're interested in retro 90's stuff at all, Thierry Mugler made a series of Angel and A*Men perfumes that all feature patchouli in the base. The original ones are pretty strong and honestly divisive, but A*Men has a bunch of flankers that seem very popular among men in the reddits I read. A lot of people consider some of the Angel varients to be unisex as well.

[kindkit]

No worries! I meant to note that I prefer perfumes in the unisex-to-masc range, but then I forgot.

I don't know enough about perfumes to think anything about retro 90sones, but Angel was apparently divisive enough for me to have heard of it. I'll keep A*Men in mind.