Patchouli Magique by Новая Заря (The New Dawn)

One of the best patchouli fragrances in history. I bought mine around 2000-2003 when cosmeticsbag.com still existed and sold a load of Russian fragrances for a short time. No, I wouldn’t have remembered where I bought it after all this time; my bottle has a Russian label, so I stuck the anglicised name of the perfume and the website on the back of the bottle. Patchouli Magique is absolutely a modern post-1980 patchouli perfume. It is not a 1968 hippie perfume. The Flash Oils patchouli was not the inspiration for this perfume. There is lots of sandalwood and incense here, but you are in a refined library or museum, not a head shop. The juice in my bottle has held up very well over the years. And they still sell them as cheaply as in 2000. I’d buy another one if I found one offered by an American or European seller.

The patchouli component strikes an unimaginable balance between “poor, shabby, depressing, damp, cellar sound” and “velvety, warm, woody, luxurious, spicy.” When buying NZ you expect the first, “poor” version, but you get the second, “luxurious” one. And even for just a few pence. Overall, NZ is a selective brand. Let me explain why: digging through tonnes of cheap rubbish and bad copies you can find a diamond like Patchouli Magique. Selective – from the word select, choice, select 🙂 A humorous joke. Conclusion: Longevity 8 out of 10, Sillage 7 out of 10, Composition 10 out of 10. I have a grey, warm, sometimes dirty homemade sweatshirt. So its sleeve has smelled for months of NZ patchouli, which I put there so purely for myself. It’s a subtle waft.

Patchouli Magique is a great patchouli fragrance that, although it is a drugstore fragrance, can definitely hold its own against some niche fragrances in the same olfactory category. The scent is at first somewhat earthy and resinous-warm, but also greenish and earthy and rather with a cool touch. It is probably the interaction between patchouli (equally earthy and balsamic), sandalwood (somewhat darker, more sour), incense (warm, flowing) and labdanum (somewhat leathery, ambery); I barely notice citrus notes. It reminds me a bit of Etro Patchouly EdP, apart from the fact that the opening of Patchouli Magique is not as resinous. Unlike Reminiscence Patchouli (and L’Incroyable Patchouli, which is very similar), Patchouli Magique is not as earthy, nor as… grainy (may sound strange, but the Reminiscence patchouli fragrances smell grainy to me like granulated sugar; I have no idea what causes this almost tactile impression, but given that fragrances can also smell fluffy like cotton or soft like silk, I’ll accept it 😉 ). However, over time, Patchouli Magique becomes warmer and sweeter than the fragrances mentioned. There is a very creamy, almost pudding-like vanilla note in the base. The patchouli note also develops in a deliciously sour and chocolatey way. Overall, a really pleasant, delicately gourmand development that never becomes overly sweet. Musk also makes the fragrance relatively powdery at the end, but without ever losing its patchouli character (while Essence de Patchouli by Alyssa Ashley, for example, was in the end only “powder with a little patchouli,” this one fortunately remains “patchouli with a little powder”). In terms of longevity and sillage, Patchouli Magique may not be as long-lasting as other patchouli fragrances (there are some that easily exceed 16 hours), but both are still well above average. Given the reasonable price (originally around 3.50 euros for the 16 ml pocket atomiser), you really can’t complain. By the way, I have the impression that the patchouli note in this fragrance is authentic and not a product of some chemical factory (and if it is, at least it is a VERY good imitation). Unfortunately, here in Germany there is only one drawback: the fragrance originally comes from Russia and is difficult to get here (usually only online, but then with a significant mark-up). However, if you can get it at a good price, it is worth buying if you like patchouli fragrances.

Very beautiful patchouli! Not edible at all, but not woody either. It must be chocolate velvet. I would never have thought that New Zealand could make such a miracle. It’s like a true niche fragrance. I highly recommend it to patchouli lovers. But let me remind you that each individual batch of NZ is extremely different from the other, and what used to cause positive emotions can turn into a not very pleasant surprise.

It’s finally here on Fragrantica!!! I’m screaming with joy! This is one of my favourite perfumes. It smells so nice and rich, you’d never guess how little it costs. It’s very similar to the Juozas Statkevičius perfume (at least for me) It smells a little old-fashioned (but isn’t that a plus?) and the opening is quite strong, but once it settles it becomes mostly comforting and warm. I hope they never discontinue it.