WHAT I SMELL: Affluent opens with a crisp apple and warm, honeyed wood combination that’s utterly enchanting. A silky, almost velvet-like patchouli emerges, devoid of any earthy undertones, as a zesty grapefruit takes center stage alongside the most delicate rose. Herbal accents lend a masculine edge, yet the fragrance remains sophisticated and refined. Affluent settles into a light, floral woodiness with a whisper of incense-infused cedar, creating an aura of understated luxury.
From the Hervé Laurent website:
This is the Signature Collection by Hervé Laurent. An exclusive masterpiece of the highest quality and profound prestige. The Signature Collection is a one of one in the world. Allowing for a one in a lifetime experience. The Signature Collection was created to compliment all matters of excellence.
Hervé Laurent Affluent extrait de parfum is the essence of sophistication, sexy, attraction, confidence, charisma, gentlemanly, prestige, wealth and high fashion. A fragrance of magnetism.
Fragrance Notes:
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- Top Notes: Vanilla, Musk, Oak Moss, Apple and Floral Wood.
- Heart Notes: Dry Birch, Patchouli, Rose, Pink Grapefruit and Sage.
- Base Notes: Pineapple, Bergamot, Black Currant, Cedarwood and Oud Wood.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The classic gentleman.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE AFFLUENT: sophisticated, semi-formal, debonair
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT AFFLUENT: No written reviews found.
BOTTOM LINE: I’m really torn with this perfume house. First off, Hervé Laurent doesn’t seem to have a presence, it’s not listed on Fragrantica and as far as I can see their perfumes are solely sold online directly from the company. Secondly, if you check out their website, they have a large collection of perfumes that are strangely marketed in a confusing manner. Lastly, the perfume names are a bit over the top…Affluent? You can market to the affluent, but calling the perfume a word that is normally an adjective to me is a bit off-putting. Then finally, the price; it rivals the most luxurious perfume houses and as nice as the perfume is (and it is), it still doesn’t command the price they are charging.
- Bone Rating: 4 bones for the perfume; 2 bones for the name and the price.
- Scent: Floral Woody
- Classification: Leans masculine
- Expense: $480 for 100ml parfum extrait. And another strange oddity, they do have 7.5ml travel sprays for $30, which makes it a cheaper option since you can buy 13 to make approximately 100ml for $400.
WHAT I SMELL: Karikia confidently opens with a lightly sweetened tobacco and a sueded leather that smells like it would be soft to the touch. And right from the start it’s dynamic and charming. Soon, a bit of barnyard enters and the smell of dried hay and grass brings the perfume to the outdoors. The perfume is buzzing with life with a twist of honeyed tobacco. Although the perfume is incredibly earthy, there’s also a clean, buttoned up feeling like that of a linen shirt that has been drying in the sun. The perfume then really begins to dry with a layer of dust, rather than powder. You can feel the winds whipping up the dried earth as it bounces off the plains. The perfume then turns more to the flame as an incense begins to ignite the dried grass and a vanilla hazelnut syrup turns it slightly gourmand. Karikia takes you on a fantastic journey of delightful twists and turns that never jolt the senses, but instead guides you slowly through its magic.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A royal stable.
WHAT I SMELL: Je Vois Encore Qadah dans Tes Yeux (I still see Qadah in your eyes) opens with a warmed and grounded bergamot along with a very muted mandarin. It’s earthy, but rather sexy as the florals begin to enter along with a mentholated finish that seems to push them off of the skin. I won’t say that it’s pretty in a light and airy way, but instead is pretty in a mature and somewhat masculine sense. After a bit, the perfume seems to retreat into itself and a smoky leather begins to grown in projection. Here, Qadah is full of energy and meditative reflection as the smokiness continues to build. A hint of vanilla keeps the perfume from relenting to the smoke and gives it a softened finish that wraps the wearer in an incredibly wonderful self assured blanket of scent.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Smoke and incense encompasses the temple.
The Scented Hound 