Vicomte de Valmont

[theredkilt]

Rake, scoundrel, demon in a frock coat. Devilishly seductive, ultimately tragic; a villain undone and redeemed by love. Based on an 18th century gentlemen’s cologne: ambergris, white musk, white sandalwood, Spanish Moss, orange blossom, three mints, jasmine, rose geranium and a spike of rosemary.

 

THIS is the first BPAL scent that captures the true cologne essence, but i can't bear it due to its old-fashioned vibe. It's got this sharp sour accord and it irks the bejesus out of me

[hobbitballerina]

Vicomte de Valmont is one of my favourite things in the catalogue, hands down. It is sex on a plate -- refined sex on a plate, mind you. This is a dandy's cologne, the thing you smell on his handkerchief before he ravishes you and you both heartily enjoy it. I gave this one to my fiancé when we first started dating on a whim, and it has been a sure-fire winner ever since then. Just smelling it on a man makes them seem infinitely more charming and delightful. And this is one some ladies can also pull off, with the right kind of personality.

 

Valmont is decadent and delightful. Clean, a little aquatic, and a whole lot of refined, elegant sexy. This is what a naughty Mr Darcy smells like, in my brain, and that is definitely a good thing. I can't get enough of it on my man.

[Jennifer Wilcox Acevedo]

This scent is definitely masculine. The first time I smelled it I thought I had died an gone to heaven. In my opinion it is perfection in a bottle. Sex in a bottle. When my husband wears it I feel like a female cat must feel like when she goes in heat. I want to walk circles around him and rub myself on his legs and lick him. Okay. You get the idea.

[DiesMali]

In the imp: Fairly generic men's cologne.

 

Wet on my skin: Still fairly generic men's cologne.

 

Dry: ...Yep. Maybe I'll try this again at another time of day. Or maybe I'll put some on my boyfriend and see how it works on him! It's not a bad scent at all - very crisp and clean - but it's not the complex sort of thing I've come to expect from BPAL. Maybe I'll try aging the imp and see how that goes.

[DoktorDandy]

This was my third scent ever from BPAL and I can blame all my subsequent loss of funds on it and it alone.

I will type up my roller coaster of thoughts here...

 

In the Imp: Wow- a lot going on here. Enthusiastic, hyper, sharp. There are sticky herbal notes and something that makes me nervous to try it. I can't pull apart the notes from one another to identify them. Something in here makes me very nervous to try it- worries that it will become powdery or something. Alcohol sort of scent that's hard to place and something reminiscent of conventional men's cologne, though a very good one.

 

Wet: Bright, green, sharper still. The powdery worry falls away completely leaving this keen-edged beauty. The sticky quality turns into a beautifully fresh, wicked astringent tang. Bright, prickly, smart and sharp, sharp sharp. Too green to be masculine or feminine right now, it's a lovely androgynous creature.

 

Dry: The sharp quality isn't lost! It fades to something gentled, more dignified- it's calmed in the presence of others, remembering it's manners and something boils and purrs underneath. Distant memories of expensive men's colognes return. Something darker is lurking in this gentleman's distance and a floral note is here, ghost like, hovering just out of sight but making it's presence known. Green and white phantom florals, distant neon dreams in the night-time.

 

Final thoughts: I love this. Adore this. I unquestioningly want a bottle of this, and soon. It's so fresh, so clean, and that wicked keen quality is heavenly. There's a rich green velvet under the hybrid citrus-like spines, and there's a glassy, effervescent quality. It's elegant and masculine at once- just what I adore, even if it surprised me by being far lighter than expected. It's comforting despite it's headiness, with a distinctly classical quality to it.

Overall, charmingly slippery, tricky and urbane.

I will wear it to the office with a smirk.I wish it lasted longer on me- but I will try to apply it with more confidence when I cross paths with the Vicomte again.

Edited May 18, 2015 by DoktorDandy

[Veronica]

A men's scent, and not my favorite from BPAL (Wilde, Antony).

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: Yep... definitely smells like a gentleman's cologne!

 

Wet: Ambergris, white musk, and orange blossom jump out to my nose at first. The mint is present, but its soft. I'm also getting the moss, a bit of the rose geranium, and the rosemary note.

 

Dry: Ambergris, white musk, and mint are the most prominent notes during the dry down. Since it is not purely aquatic, it hasn't turned into soap on me. Huzzah! I still get a bit of the moss, florals, and the sandalwood is present now, adding some warmth to the blend.

 

Verdict: I'm glad the orange blossom wasn't problematic for me. I like this one, but I don't think I would wear it myself. It would be great on a guy, though!

[somacat]

I'm sure this is what Willikins, Sam Vines' Butler and man who knows how to fight smells like. My finance says it's like a sexy Grandpa...in a good way.

[Casablanca]

A fragrance with a lot going on. On the wand, I get a mix of minty aromatic and floral components sitting on a musky cologne. Mint, jasmine and other flowers I can't distinguish, rosemary (and maybe thyme?), and something a bit woody-grainy that may be the sandalwood.

On my skin, I start to pick out the neroli, which I seem to amp anyway, but it blends well with the jasmine. The mint is present but unobtrusive. There's something curiously, idly serene to this one. I think of a hot summer day that forbids much more than lazing about under drooping, barely rustling willows. This blend makes me want to get out in the sun, and be lazy too.

[gloame]

On first sniff, this was incredibly, overpoweringly 'men's cologne'. It does remain a masculine scent, but on drydown, it's much nicer than typical men's cologne! It also fades pretty fast. Not a lot of throw. 4/5.

 

Where I'd wear this: In the scullery

Edited July 16, 2017 by gloame

[Salazar]

Both in the imp and on my skin:

To me this is just a general mens cologne. In saying that - it smells nice. A safe option that most people would find pleasant.

Unfortunately for me it fades very quickly on my skin and (imo) is not bottle worthy.

Edited March 18, 2017 by Salazar

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Clean, fresh cologne. Then it sweetens up a bit as it warms on my skin, and I think that brings it into neutral fougere territory. For having some of my least favourite notes (orange blossom and jasmine) this is surprisingly lovely.

 

 

Dry: Stays true as it dries, a lovely cologne - clean, slightly sweet, fresh, not too floral. I like it, but I would never wear it. I think this would be a really "safe" option for introducing a man to BPAL, but anyone could wear this.

[Lucchesa]

Vicomte de Valmont smells way too much like a cologne my dad used to wear in the 70s. Lime Brut or something like that - I can almost picture the bottle. And then to add insult to injury, it doesn't last on me at all. Not for me.

[freyasfae]

Cologne - at first, one I thought I might like, but when I have retried it just hasn't hit the right chord. Seems almost a cologne smarmy guys with money, who want to make sure you know they have money, wear.

[Joyleaf_]

My first and only impression is that I must have the Husband wear this.
On date night.