Comme des Garcons 2 by Comme des Garcons

What a coincidence that two unique perfumes evoke each other without being identical: Comme des Garçons 2 and Blamage by Nasomatto. Blamage is my favourite, smokier and more masculine, whereas CdG2 is citrusy, floral and sharp at the start; both are aldehydic and fresh. CdG2 barely hints at smoke, only during the dry-down. I wear them on each hand: Blamage is linear, with the smoke gaining ground, while CdG2 evolves significantly—the nutmeg softens and other notes emerge, a sweetness, and yes, I smell cheap ballpoint pen ink, like when we were children pressing our noses to paper; it’s subtle, but it’s there. I’d say Blamage is the masculine version of a unisex/feminine CdG2. Both are beautiful and compatible. CdG2 is more summery, spring-like, clean, soapy and unique. Good performance and projection. It’s versatile, suitable for any age, though perhaps less for very formal occasions for men, yes for women due to that classic floral touch. A real treat, CdG continues to create true niche.

Smells clean, but goes far beyond that. It bursts with aldehydes, citrus notes, a powdery touch, white florals, and a metallic undertone that doesn’t dominate, plus a hint of incense. All of this conveys cleanliness and a great sense of peace. The dry down, which takes on an amber character, gives it personality and excellent longevity. The projection is intimate, which is how I describe it. For the price, I’ll definitely keep it in my collection. It’s versatile, though I’d avoid wearing it on hot days; I don’t see it working for midsummer. Totally versatile, I wouldn’t exclude it from any occasion.

I bought a mini for my partner as I thought she’d like the ink note given she’s a typographer. We tried it together and was surprised how differently it smells on each of us. On her skin, CdG 2 is linear, highlighting a rubber milk, aldehyde and coriander scent with no trace of ink. On me, those aldehydes and coriander blend with the magnolia. The initial sweetness mutates into something more woody and bitter, reminding me now of the ink and yerbamate. A few hours later, spices and smoky woods round everything off, and much later, amber and cinnamon dominate. It’s totally unisex, suitable for any occasion except very hot summers. It projects well without invading for a couple of hours, then lasts about 8 hours on the skin. I’ve tried all the ‘pebbles’ from CdG and, excluding Blue Santal, I liked them all; this is by far my favourite, perhaps because it leaves me speechless: it’s like getting off a train in a city of glass skyscrapers, realising your breakfast tea was ayahuasca and spending the day tripping on synaesthesia. Despite being unclassifiable, it’s very wearable and versatile if you let yourself be surprised. Pleasant: 8/10 Interesting: 11/10 Versatile: 8/10 Original: 11/10

COMME des GARÇONS 2 is unisex and is based on contrasts that complement each other. The extreme modern (laboratory) and the natural (niche) combine to create their own rules. It conceives a unique, authentic and magnetic aroma. I believe it requires a certain individualist character to wear it. It begins with vibrant notes such as mandarin, yerba mate and angelica, combined with subtle aldehydes and tea. Then it moves to a heart that contrasts Japanese ink with the sweetness of cinnamon, the spice of caraway and nutmeg, plus coriander, black pepper and magnolia. In the base, seductive woods such as patchouli, cedar and vetiver, combined with the salty touch of amber and the singular note of incense that gives it a formidable personality. The bottle deserves special mention: artisanal, pure luxury. Made of glass and metal, it creates a mirror effect, original and modern. It reflects pure nature in its sober form and urban technology in the metallic finish, uniting two opposite poles to create a sublime perfume. Original, futuristic, arriving from 1999 and could be worn in 2086.

Ethereal, sterile and unique. It takes you to another world; it is and is not at the same time. The opening is sharp, short but harmonious: fifteen minutes of aldehydes that seem to freeze an orange with stem and green tea. As it dries, it’s sterile because it can’t have another facet; it smells of a metal sword with a touch of ion, cinnamon and magnolia. It reminds me of a solitary hospital, very well cared for and with the latest technology. The finish is like an amber and patchouli candle burning slowly, leaving a creamy scent. If I had to choose a book, it would be ‘Brave New World’ by Huxley: that’s how the Fordian scientists would smell in that world without old age. It smells difficult to wear; it requires a subtle, imposing, monochromatic and daring style, an outsider that gets along well with others. That makes it particular, as I expected from Rei Kawakubo’s house.

It should smell like black and white photos, feminine, like a children’s cologne from 120 years ago, like innocence, vintage, purity, like cleanliness, like a beautiful girl type Maria Romanov eternally young. It should smell like that because that is how the magnolia smells on my skin, which is almost the protagonist from the start until well into the drying down. A cryogenised but modern and masculine magnolia, which makes me think of Kandinsky paintings and artistic avant-gardes, not dirty bra exhibitions or effigies that burn (which was what I feared). Frozen herbs, woods turned into paste and irrigated with liquid nitrogen… It has green and woody accents, but I have not distinguished many listed notes. I want to try it more, I have almost not been able to bring it close to my nose. The metallic air of blood rust I attribute to the ink. I thought the pyramid would be pure posturing but no. This is special. The aldehydes are superb, easy, cold, vaporous and precious. I wish they were used thus in other combinations. I have loved it despite the opening leaving me meh. It smelled like nothing, only a very cold and refreshing sparkling water with citrus scents. Afterwards, the aldehydes revealed a thousand lovely things and above all that precious magnolia.

Darkbeat, forget grand expectations with Comme des Garçons 2 Man. It’s a great perfume, but the incense only shines at the start. Quickly, the vetiver and creamy notes take over. A word from an incense addict.

This morning I wore this perfume and I’m more disappointed than ever, and now I see my big mistake. In my eternal search for perfumes with incense, I listened carefully to people talking about ‘Comme Des Garcons 2 Man’, but when buying it I didn’t notice the ‘Man’ and ended up with this version. It’s not a bad perfume, but it’s not to my taste, especially because I expected a delicious incense and there’s none here. My joy turned to a pit. It starts with an explosive load of aldehydes, very sharp citrus-floral chords and metallic notes. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t continue with it; I’m not a fan of powerful aldehydes and this one is, very much. It’s a strange and original perfume, I’ve never heard anything like it before. For those who like these notes, highly recommended, but if aldehydes don’t make you go ‘zing’, don’t even get close, it’s a real bomb. I can’t say much about the longevity, but it’s surely extremely high, as I tried to remove it several times and it was still there; in the end I had to shower again to get rid of it. The trail is also high and, despite that, it feels fresh, or rather cold, and recommended for warm climates.

What does CdG2 resemble? Nothing I’ve ever smelled before. The opening is an explosive aldehydic blast, followed by an impossible-to-decipher blend: floral, metallic, spiced and green. It still feels ‘eternally modern’. The opening is overwhelmingly feminine, but its dry-down is the perfect unisex scent for the modern urbanite. Not for everyone, a must-try, but certainly attractive and surprising.

A particular and unique aroma; I can’t recall anything similar. For that alone, it deserves recognition from Mr Buxton for his originality in an era of clones. For me, it’s the best aldehyde creation to date: avant-garde, immense, rich, creative and bright like a giant emerald. Green and aromatic facets that smell of a tropical jungle. I highlight the green tea and angelica, which round off the aldehydes, creating a new, sharp, almost metallic, wet and aquatic scent without being acidic. The spices and vaporous, vibrant magnolia unite with sweet amber. Dried down on noble woods, patchouli and ink, with a touch of animalic castoreum, like in Leonard pour Homme or Davidoff. Iradía strikes a perfect balance, a dreamy, green and luminous world. Rating: 9.5.

A wonderful, modernist aldehyde with nuclear projection. A special perfume to make an impact and leave a mark. Smells of something clean, floral and slightly vanilla.

A fragrance that’s complicated to describe. The differentiating note is the ink, but blindfolded it smells of metal, as if we were cutting plants with a katana and smelling the edge. Citrus opening, sweet floral without distortion, aldehydes (like an acidic grape leaf or shiso) and ink. A glacial sensation; I wouldn’t wear it in winter or autumn, it would feel frozen. Smoky and sweet base with contained patchouli, incense and cinnamon so as not to steal the spotlight from the green notes, which are the protagonists. I see it as totally unisex, although marketed as feminine; CdG has rare classifications. If you see it in the women’s section, don’t be fooled. Infinite longevity; it lasted three days on my skin. Heavy trail. A very good fragrance, uncommon and surprising. Suitable for daytime in temperate to warm climates.

This great unknown was shown to me by a friend. The effect is brutal; his makeup artist said all her clients were left speechless at her chest. He gave me the end of the bottle as a memento and all my friends ask what I’m wearing. With citrus opening notes, it’s ideal for summer or spring. But with its incense and patchouli base, it has great fixation and I recommend it for special evening moments. Curiosity! IT HAS INK PRESENCE. Yes, ink, and that’s what makes it so special. I recommend it fervently; as a unisex gift it’s perfect.