Nobile 1942 Patchouli Nobile Perfume Review
Nobile 1942 Patchouli Nobile Eau de Parfum is dominated by patchouli, an earthier, darker patchouli that’s combined with sandalwood, oak moss, and tonka bean help to smooth and seamlessly blend the fragrance together for heady experience. Nobile 1942 listed the note structure as:
- top notes: lemon, white pepper, fresh notes, incenses
- heart notes: jasmine, patchouli, gaiac wood, cistus
- base notes: ambery notes, labdanum, tonka bean, sandalwood, patchouli, oak moss
It opened with an earthy, chocolaty patchouli–not quite bitter but definitely not sweet–in the first few minutes before tempering to a sharper, peppery patchouli that was lemony, earthy, and lightly smoky that made up the remainder of the opening scene (about a 30 minutes). Patchouli Nobile became woodier; dry, earthy, and just a touch resinous with little sweetness and even less incense before fully morphing into a patchouli laced with sweet, spiced amber set in a damp forest, as there was an earthy, slightly green note that underscored the patchouli.
After an hour and a half of wear, the patchouli has smoothed out and has more of a spiced, woody scent with an ambery richness; it was far less earthy, and the greenness subsided entirely. I didn’t find the scent shifted dramatically from this point to the end of wear, but it became a little more spiced, richer in its underlying sweetness–both from the amber and tonka bean–while it retained its drier, woody quality. It became more resinous, almost richer without having more projection, as time went on.
For testing, I used two sprays, which were applied to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I use an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. It was long-lasting (over eight hours and was still detectable as a skin-scent) with moderate sillage for the first two to three hours and then wore more closely following that.
Subjectively, I fell hard and fast this scent! I tested it once, from a 1ml sample I bought, and immediately purchased a full-sized bottle (which was what I ended up using to re-test for review purposes!). I loved the progression of the scent from earthier, almost dirty, patchouli to dry woods to a warmer, cozier patchouli–spiced woods with ambery richness.
Available Sizes
- 75 ml for $135
- 0.7 ml sample for $4
This sounds gorgeous! I love your perfume reviews, and I’m looking forward to finally being able to wear my own again later this year! (My youngest will be heading to college–I’m not looking forward to not having them at home, though. 🙁 )
Cool that you found a fragrance that you enjoy! I’m curious about this brand. The bottles are really nice and I like that you get to pick out the color of your perfume case. I like my Patchouli smooth and not as the main note. Love guaiac wood and sandalwood. I’m going to check this scent out along with a few of Nobile 1942 other fragrances. Nice review!
Thank you, Denise! I can totally see why you’d prefer patchouli smooth and not as a main note – not a note for everyone!
Patchouli and sandalwood – yep, I think I would love this as well. Now when is Mother’s Day coming up?
My BFF of 41-42 years would absolutely LOVE this particular fragrance, as she has quite the affinity for patchouli and earthy scents. This could also be one I may even like…hmm🤔
I feel like going out to try perfumes Christine, you describe them so perfectly and I feel that my tastes are close to yours. I am really enjoying these fragrance reviews.
Thank you, Brenda! 🙂
Not a Patchouli lover so not likely to love this. I am enjoying the scent reviews as it is an area that I don’t know much about except what I like. I look forward to future reviews.
I agree, Deborah S. I’m pretty clueless where perfumes are concerned.
I’m so jealous patchouli works well on you—it LOVES me (even fragrances with the most subtle patchouli undertones become total patchouli bombs on me!) but I don’t love it back. 🙂 This sounds like a lovely fragrance for those whose body chemistry works well with patchouli.
LOL! This is how I felt when I tried a fragrance that ended up being a tuberose bomb on me!
I ADORE patchouli and it wears hard on my skin. It’s always amped also and if the rest of the blend doesn’t help out, it stays sharp and loud. I’m envious of the people who can basically wear straight patchouli and have it sink in to their skin to the point it just smells like a rich, woody version of them.
I love this fragrance as well, Christine. I purchased a sample, & now want a full bottle. I enjoy your perfume reviews.
Oh, happy to hear it! This one is so lovely!
I bought a full bottle Christine. Hubby loves it as well on me.
Ohh, so thrilled, Janice!!
You had me at patchouli and that bottle style, and then lost me at nearly every other note listed, and then brought me back around when you said how much you loved it. We don’t overlap on scents much, but enough that I’d gamble a few bucks on trying this.
LOL! Are there any patchouli scents that you really loved in the past?
Yes, but not on me! If you branch out to indie perfumers in the future, Possets’s Paisley is a gorgeous patchouli that smells AMAZING on my partner. Less so on me (skin amps it too much that it stays harsh and never softens and warms). I can wear For Strange Women’s Decadance and Debauchery, which has patchouli, but my skin amps the helichrysum (italicum I think. the “curry plant”) more and creates a really warm comforting fragrance with the beefiness of the patchouli offering longevity without sharpness.
Commercially -Theirry Mugler’s Angel For Men (AMen?) is dry, dry, drrryyyy and I can’t pick out any single notes beyond dry and warm and lightly sweet, but it smells nice. Nicer than regular Angel.
I said it before and I’ll say it again here too – I love you dabbling in to perfumes. I find it’s definitely the sister hobby to makeup.
I love patchouli and would wear it often. Unfortunately, it is my sister-in-laws signature scent and has been for more than 40 years. I’m not sure my husband, her brother, would like to be reminded of her that often….it could definitely ruin a moment. 😉
Wow. 40 years! I admire anyone who can be so consistent, lol!
Nobile 1942 is such a good house and I don’t hear enough people talk about them. I recently picked up a bottle of La Danza Della Libellule and it is such a pretty, happy and crowd pleasing fragrance. The more I sample this house the more I become impressed with them, Italy has really been killing the niche fragrance game. I am also in love with Masque Milano’s line as well.