Solo Vulcan by Loewe

It’s a spicy scent, very different from mass-market offerings and those cloying sweet trends in men’s fragrances. It has few notes, but each stands out at every stage, from the initial splash to the dry-down. Not a blind buy.

I think it’s a spectacular floral perfume for everyday wear and work, and why not to win over a girlfriend you like or for an informal date. The opening is slightly herbal, but after ten minutes the herbal notes disappear, leaving that very rich floral scent. Longevity is five to six hours, normal for an outing or a day, and the trail and projection are moderate but very rich. Not for blind buying. Enough with the hate; everyone has their tastes and every perfume has its charm. I give it 8.5 out of 10.

Like Atlas but worse: you lose that incense-like character in the base, the playfulness of the neroli and bergamot, and the loud opening with the mandarin, replacing it with a soapy smell that lasts at best five hours. One smelled of spring; this is just something familiar.

I’m looking for my previous comment on this scent… but in summary, I wear it (I’m a woman) and it works brilliantly: it smells super soapy, fresh, with a woody touch and very clean. It’s 100% unisex, with a gorgeous, easy-to-wear vetiver (the one by Rabanne, for instance, makes me gag). Perhaps for many men, compared to Solo EDP, it might seem a bit of a dud. The point is, I’m back to tell you what product from my daily routine it reminds me of, which is why I love it so much: Lush Big Shampoo. But just as it is <3. I truly adore it. In my seven to eight-hour day, it projects well. That's what living in the south, by the Mediterranean, is all about :p

It smells a bit of musk to me, even though it’s not listed in the notes; I might be mistaken, but it’s there. A super simple scent, nothing complex, everyone will like it. The opening is a disaster, it smells strange, don’t trust your first impression. After five minutes it changes completely, with vetiver, orange blossom and lavender emerging, leaving a rich fragrance. What I don’t understand is the price; this isn’t niche and the pricing is out of place. I don’t know what strategy Loewe is using, perhaps the snob effect like Mercedes or BMW, products that aren’t bad but aren’t worth the cost. Gentlemen of Loewe, this is bread for today and hunger for tomorrow. People aren’t stupid and can distinguish the exclusive from what isn’t. You’re shooting yourselves in the foot with these prices. A pretty perfume, nothing more, but it doesn’t cost what it should.

Summer takes me by surprise, and I wear it more in the late afternoon. At first, it smells floral with cinnamon, spicy, coconut, and bitter orange peel; very warm. As it dries down, it becomes a white floral dominated by bitter orange blossom, much fresher than at the start. Its drawback is the short projection and longevity: the scent bursts in waves for up to four hours, and from the third hour onwards, it’s just skin scent. In my case, it barely projects. It reminds me a lot of Loewe Atlas, as others say.

If you’re hunting for a collector’s piece, Loewe’s Solo Vulcan is a letdown: expensive, repetitive, and soulless, just a mix of scents you already know. For everyone else, it’s a decent commercial fragrance, almost unisex with a masculine edge, perfect for summer and very versatile. If you enjoy Paula’s Ibiza and Solo Atlas, this smells like Abascal in a skinny suit. Grab it on sale for under €60 and you’re in for a treat; it smells glorious. Ideal for holiday afternoons: charming, no nonsense, and without that excessive ambroxan. While it’s perfect for summer, I can’t ask for more: it lasts barely five hours, and by hour two it’s already fading. People smoke thyme with this and claim incredible longevity.

I’ll be brief: it’s 75% Loewe Atlas and 25% Paula’s Ibiza. For me, it’s neither good nor bad—it depends on personal taste. It’s not worth the price. Since 7 Cobalt, Loewe hasn’t released anything noteworthy; they just keep raising prices. Next.

For those who enjoy Loewe’s classics, the latest releases feel strange. Solo Vulcan is something odd: neither masculine nor feminine, nor floral nor aromatic, nor citrus nor sweet. Personally, I didn’t like it. Although they aren’t similar, I prefer Mercurio. I understand that reading reviews to confirm or rule out a purchase can complicate things. As always, the best option is to test it on skin at a Druni or El Corte Inglés. Don’t let it happen to you as it did to me: Solo Atlas smells wonderful dry, but on my skin it has a strange incense accord that doesn’t suit me. However, if anyone from Loewe reads this: 1. Mercurio, Atlas, and Vulcan are wonderful, but they shouldn’t be called ‘Solo’; the line is totally different and deserves its own identity. 2. The new rectangular bottles with little colour accents are beautiful and visually enchanting, but if you raise the prices, each line should have its own distinct packaging. 3. Regarding the price, you’ve completely lost your marbles. 4. It would be good to have lines with more affordable prices and mass appeal, as Solo Loewe and 7 always were. And if you wish to innovate towards niche, launch a private line with aromas like the latest ones, different packaging, and there you can justify the price.

Sublime. After trying it several times and coveting it, I was gifted the bottle and I’m delighted. It has an original, distinctive aroma reminiscent of Solo Atlas at the outset, with a hint of Paula’s Ibiza DNA, yet it walks its own path: a unique composition, more resinous and ambered in the heart, with aromatic notes rather than floral. Its labdanum (that Spanish rockrose accord), lavender, soft rosemary, and a hidden note create a peculiar olfactory profile. Whether it’s marketing or not, I recommend testing it on skin. It’s a modern, advanced unisex fougère that distances itself from the Solo line and could stand independently. It’s not challenging; it’s pleasant and agreeable, sometimes sweet and raspy, other times herbal and spiced, with great evolution. A joy for moments of distinction, very attractive and sensual. It’s neither mature nor vintage, nor unpleasant. There are other Loewe fragrances, such as 7 Anónimo, which are more polarising and don’t appeal to me, though they have their fans. Despite the criticism, the longevity is acceptable: six to seven hours, good projection for the first two hours, then moderate, with a lovely slow dry-down and a trail of about half an hour. Perfectly unisex. It will probably shine in spring and autumn, although I got great mileage out of it during the hot summer of 2024. Regarding the price, when it reaches mass-market perfumeries at 60 euros for 50ml, I fail to understand the controversy. No designer brand maintains minimum quality-to-price ratios on their websites or at El Corte Inglés. Once distributed like the rest of Loewe in Spain, it sits at a mid-to-high price point, below random niche. Good luck if you’re trying to find other designer or niche perfumes with this quality. I can understand criticism from those expecting something else, but I believe Loewe took the consequences by releasing something away from the mainstream. A very good decision, especially as they already have good fragrances for everyone like the 7 line or Essences, and some from Solo. This Solo Vulcan stands out as a distinct perfume that many will love enormously while others won’t; that’s perfectly fine. A capricious perfume, certainly, but a perfect 10. As Adelante Mariami said, ‘vulcan’ doesn’t smell like a volcano; it’s an allegory of an olfactory impact.

I tried it the other day at El Corte Inglés and it was disappointing; it has nothing masculine about it. The opening is very strong with a floral smell that fades over time; I didn’t like it at all, one of the worst perfumes I’ve smelled in a long time. Neither feet nor head; I don’t know if it’s for men or women, nor if it’s floral or citrusy; it’s a mixture that, in my opinion, doesn’t smell good. That said, it has performance, which is the only good thing. Fortunately I didn’t buy it blind, as I was about to purchase it on offer before it appeared in perfumeries. I found Agua Drop much more interesting; that one is definitely worth at least trying.

Two things I emphasise after testing it: 1- The ‘for men’ label is superfluous, and 2- It is a niche perfume. I understand gender marketing, but this seems neither male nor female. It’s not a typical designer scent; it’s an artistic composition. It doesn’t smell of bergamot, but rather very green, like a crassula or palm plant with an aromatic base. It reminds me of Loewe candles with lots of oregano. It’s a distinct, particular scent, conceptually similar to Paula’s Ibiza. At times, it smells like Mediterranean summer air, herbs from a rocky landscape such as the Costa Brava or Menorca (not the beach). Oregano, juniper… I wouldn’t buy a bottle; it’s not sexy, formal, elegant, or playful; perhaps as an ambience or candle, but it’s not something I want to wear in the street. Nevertheless, very good work.