Costume National 21

Notes: bergamot, milk, orange blossoms, saffron, cumin, pepper, cashmere wood, royal jelly, moss, clary sage, patchouli, olibanum, amber, sandalwood, oudh wood, cedar, vetiver, labdanum, tonka bean, vanilla, musk

Costume National's scent to commemorate their 21st anniversary is called, aptly, 21. It is a fairly complex composition, apparently composed of designer Ennio Capasia's favorite scents.  I like it, but there's an overall "perfume-y-ness" that I'm not fond of, probably because it has an old-fashioned quality.  And I find myself preferring modern fragrances most of the time.

The first whiff of 21 is of saffron and orange blossom, with spices and a brief hit of woods, all wrapped in a sweet creaminess.  The saffron is a really nice version, smelling fairly true to the culinary ingredient rather than an iodine substitute.  It, sadly, fades fairly rapidly and is not replaced by the oudh on my skin at all.

There's also a heart of sweetness in 21, a sort of fruity/jammy quality. And a powderyness too, scented with sandalwood.  The drydown gets a bit sweeter, with lots of tonka bean and vanilla. 

It's a nice scent, rich and interesting, possibly unisex although it's a little sweet for my man's taste.  Definitely worth a try.