Sycomore Eau de Parfum by Chanel

Luxury ingredients, but it just doesn’t work for me. It smells half salty, metallic, and mineral, like a wet mine filled with crystals. Must be the smell of miners, haha. Honestly, it lasts forever on the skin; even after washing my hands, I can still detect it. I tried Encre Noire too, and I didn’t like that one either.

You only need to wear it for 30 minutes on your skin to see that it’s light years away from any other vetiver. I love Encre Noire, Guerlain’s Vetiver, and Givenchy’s, but Sycomore is in a different league.

I was going to write a review of this incredible liquid, but @Espartaco already nailed every detail and set the mood. Nothing to add, 100% agree, great review, sir! Just this: I was gifted a 3 ml decant of Sycomore EDP and now I don’t want to use anything else. I can’t think of anything else. Indeed… what a pain to be poor. ___ Update May 2025: I caved. I found a deal and bought a new 75 ml bottle with original packaging at the resale market. I’m ecstatic.

It’s not very original, but the scent is excellent and not tiring. The main issue isn’t the price, which is very high, but the performance, which is quite poor. You can find much better perfumes with greater longevity and at a more affordable price. What a pity.

Damn it to be poor. If I had to summarize Sycomore in one phrase: ‘what a bunch of jerks invented expensive divisions.’ I don’t remember if it was Dior or Hermès, but the truth is, the top note doesn’t always suit everyone, even though the quality is exquisite. Putting Encre Noire next to it is like comparing a Chinese bag to a Loewe one. It’s a smoky, sweet, youthful oriental vetiver, spiced, with hints of smoke and suede jackets. After fresh notes of cypress and juniper, it turns into a semi-oriental infusion, like vetiver tea made into perfume. I’m going to stop testing luxury exclusive lines; they’re better. No soft grapefruits or cheap ambroxan here, just expensive poetry. It smells like Encre Noire but more refined, like tea served in fine porcelain. Is it worth it? I don’t know, economies are like butts, we all have one. Does it smell expensive? Yes. Once Chanel had a perfume for everyone; now they don’t: for the 900-euro crowd, they make Gabrielle; for the millionaire, this exquisite scent that takes off the clothes and leaves only the skin. It smells like happiness, like a freshly combed baby. I’d love a bottle, though maybe my wallet can’t handle it. P.S.: Based on the EDP; they say the EDT was better, but to me, this one is a gem.

I received it with the excitement of a kid getting their dream toy. This is the vetiver of vetivers, a masterpiece by Polge and Sheldrake. I tried it at Chanel eight years ago and was blown away—it had everything I was looking for. I assumed the EDP would be just as bright as the original EDT, just more concentrated. Big mistake. This version is muted, doesn’t project as well, and lacks the same brightness. It’s an outrageously expensive perfume. Don’t you see? Was reformulating it really necessary? Verdict: don’t trust your gut; test before you buy.