21 CoSTUME NATIONAL for women and men

Mmmmm....I'm in heaven. This smells like part Serge Lutens Arabie and part Theorema which I LOVE!! Very incensey, comforting, spicy, warm, and uplifting. It gives me confidence and strength. I was having trouble getting to work on my thesis today, so I went straight to this to give me the comfort I needed to focus. It works and I am in love! (okay, back to writing but I just had to share! :))

Testing a sample:

Cedar. This is the first frag I have ever used where the cedar was totally easy to pick out. Its there from the start and all the way thru dry-down. I personally love the smell of cedar, so I'm good with that. I think this might be what folks are calling the "masculine" aspect.

The dry down is a pleasant ambery/vanilla/tonka... not too sweet... the cedar actually feels like it is the sweet note here. Sharp and sweet if that's possible.

A lovely fragrance. I can see why there is a lot of love in the comments for it.

I just ordered a bottle of the deodorant. Mostly cuz its price point is phenomenal comparatively, and supposedly has a much stronger longevity which this little sample I have lacks. (2-3 hours and then it becomes very close to the skin). But I was dabbing from a small vial, so the spray could be totally different.

I may be crazy about this whole deodorant spray thing. I tried to google reviews for it, but found none, other than a little something about "perfume deodorants" in general being much more concentrated. So, I'll check back after it arrives and I sample it. Might be a big disaster! But at least I can use it for my pits if nothing else!

When I go to heaven I hope it smells like this perfume. I would recommend it to anyone with a nose. Avoid if u dislike masterpieces. Bliss in a Bottle!!!!

I tried this yesterday, since Im not a fan of spicy perfumes, I was pretty sure that it wouldnt be a perfume for me. I particiluare dont like pepper as a note. Anyway, with no expectation I sprayed it on my wrist. At first the spicy pepper striked me as very heavy and overpowering, but I could still find some creamy feeling in the top. In the early stage it was VERY masuline. This day I felt like wearing a masculine scent so I didnt scrub it off and I also wanted to see how it would develope later on..

When worst "pepperbomb" have calm down a bit, the other spices starts to show, also the milk. The milk note and I guess the vanilla gives it a soft and creamy smell as well, this blends good with the hard spice. I think it continues about the same way, a spicy, masculine perfume with a creamy and soft toutch blended. It has great sillage, my boss told me that my perfume smelled in all the store, so thats a great thing! Also the lasting power was very great! Lasted for more than 7 h, and smelled a lot all the time. This is a perfume that really will complement you, specially if it suits you and you are wearing something speciall and a little bit "raw" think it goes best with a raw and "hard" outfit, a cool leatherjacket and skinny jeans with some heels. I really think it was a unik perfume, yet masculine, but its a buy for me since I dont have many perfumes in this category. It sure stands out in the crowd.

And yes I almost forgot, would recomend this for fall, winter , evening or nights out. I wouldn't want to smell this in too hot weather. Too overpowering. And spray with a light hand. Its more intresting when a little bit is used.

Finally received my sample of this one today. Upon first sniff this reminded me very much of Tauer's L'air du desert marocain (which I cannot wear at all) - ie a massive dose of 'incense'. Thankfully, 21 is a little less brutal which meant I didn't have to scrub it off and could wait to see how it would develop.
Within 10 minutes or so that initial incense cloud quietens down and I get a distinct minty note with a somewhat sweetness just poking through.
This combination is pretty much what stands out on me though I have to say after an hour, this has definitely softened up and a few more notes are coming in to play making it more rounded, warmer and sweeter which is also giving it that creamy feel for which I was hoping.
It is such a unique scent and very hard to describe, it truly needs to be tested by the individual to fully understand.
I am enjoying the dry down but on the fence as to whether I can see myself wearing this. Will have to test a few more times and see how we go.

This is exquisite. I get the orange blossom and cedar wood right away, then it seamlessly blends into a close-wearing aura of creamy spice. Difficult to describe, but wonderfully unique and beautiful.

Definitely a fall/winter scent. I don't think it develops well in warm or hot weather.

Edit: I just wanted to add that I also think is a unisex scent, wonderful on anyone.

Had high hopes for this one, after reading the reviews here. Tried my sample today. It turned really sour on me, like milk gone bad. Maybe the sample had gone off or it just doesn't suit my body chemistry. I tried to keep it on me for a while and not to scrub it off straight, to see if maybe it was just the top notes that didn't work for me, but I couldn't stand it. Oh well, on to the next sample.

Got this one blind after geting it sugested to me and reading the reviews. I'm a bit lazy and live in a medium size Scandinavian town. Won't regret it for the world. The sent has it all and manages to balance it of. It has saffron, amber, pachouli, woods, it's warm and comforting yet sexy. It lasts long and stays close to the skin. It develops with out merging. It says that its wearer stands on his or her own two feets. It is my HG, the funny thing with that said is that I think the ad with the partly hidden white androgynus girl is genious because it mysteriously captivates the essence of the perfume. It can be used by any one, but I don't really want that because this is "my precious" ....

I hate to agree with everyone, but this is a really nice scent. Complex, would be a great one word description. Each note plays together like a Chicago Symphony Orchestra for your nose. It starts off smelling acceptable and improves considerably as it drys down. My nose can't detect any particular note, it only recognizes the combined effort of near olfactory perfection.

4.7/ out of 5

Some scents just defy all reasoning for why you shouldn't own a full bottle, and to me, 21 is hands down one of them. By the time this dried down on my skin, I bought a full bottle on thE bay, and I never do that because I promised myself to spend time with using a whole sample of anything before ever buying. I just couldn't resist with 21... it really is that good.

21 combines the best of many of my favorite scents--the spiced incense of Tauer Marocain, syrupy oakmoss tarriness of Prada Prada, the bold patchouli and labdanum combination of Prada Intense, the deep, dark but soft spiciness of Gucci Eau de Parfum, the earthy woods and saffron of Lancome Magnifique and the mystery of oud in Montale Red Aoud. Overall, smooth, rich, soft, a little sour, and gently sweet; spicy, edible, huggable, at times aloof; full of pauses, muffled exclamations and other contradictions. Never loud, yet 21 is very present. On every level, it teters on a perfectly delicate balance.

There seem to be some notes missing from the pyramid too. 21 is named so because it is a composition of 21 of the designer's favorite notes being bergamot, milk, orange blossoms, saffron, cumin (although I smell caraway), pepper, cashmere wood, royal jelly, moss, clary sage, patchouli, olibanum, amber, sandalwood, oudh wood, cedar, vetiver, labdanum, tonka bean, vanilla and musk according to a retailer's website--and oh, how all these notes blend so well! Floral woody musk it states here, although I'd most definitely also classify it as Oriental woody.

A modern composition of ancient ingredients that culminate into a comfortably sensual experience that doesn't demand, yet humbly commands attention. The experience of 21 feels like being gently blindfolded by a stranger with a soft white chiffon scarf, then hearing a deep, warm, whisper in your ear from behind that says "I want to smell you all over," sending you into a soft undulation of hypersensitivity. Oooohh, I just gave myself goosebumps rereading that...

Okay, time for me to go be alone with my sample now while I wait for my full bottle to arrive.

Of all my fragrances, this one gets me the most compliments. To me, its a complex and sophisticated creamy woody scent - perfect for winter and cold days. Its warming but not at all overpowering. Very special. Oh and it lasts ALL DAY.

Love love love this! I have been trying so many perfumes lately and nothing is grabbing me by the collar and saying Take me! But this one did! Gorgeous sexy smell, it has my favourite note in it - milk, but it's 100% sexed up with spices, patchouli, vanilla and all those other notes which make it totally appropriate for dirty nighttime rendezvous!! No but seriously, this is NOT a sweet milky scent, although I do love those too, Im so glad Ive come across something with creamy milk in it but in a sexy sophisticated concoction for when I dont wanna smell like a lolly, but I still want to be eaten!! ;) The best thing about it is that no one note takes over here, everything is blended to perfection. I could kind of describe it like something similar to Dior addict, that strong spicy scent which you can't really escape from, but with milk rounding it out. Also I sprayed this on my wrist and I still smelt it on my clothes 2 days later. Amazing staying power!

Every now and then, smooth and creamy fragrances tend to appeal to me. They're my answer to the 'clean' fragrances where soapiness and sharp citrus fail to impress.

Costume National 21 is positively amazing. It smells like sweetened milk, vanilla and spice. I think I was in love the first time I smelt it. It's a touch ambery and sweet at times, however the white creaminess of this fragrance is what stands out the most to my nose.

This is the kind of fragrance that I find very relaxing. It reminds me a little of Diesel's Plus Plus Feminine and Emporio Armani White for Women.

Costume National 21 opens rather creamy and luscious, in some ways innocent and pure. Towards the heart there is a touch of pepper, rich amber and caraway seeds, which later rounds out to a deliciously smokey vanilla incense.

I'm amazed that I have rarely heard this fragrance mentioned on our forums. I feel that I could praise it to the moon and back. Although having hardly anything in common, Costume National 21 evokes the same soothing and cuddly sensation that DK's Cashmere Mist is so famous for.

The longevity and sillage are equally impressive, being strong, without breaking down the intimacy created. I strongly recommend this fragrance.

Among all of the perfumes from the company, I just like this one; I smelled Scent Intense CoSTUME NATIONAL for women and it was horrible. But about this one, the thing that allures me is saffron. Finally I can smell saffron in perfumes clearly. I used to think they cheat us!
Its longevity, fairly, is unbelievable. I washed my wrist twice and my sleeve with soap but it was still there!
Ans its sillage is perfect also. If you like the smell I can say that it's one of the best!

sour propolis, milk cream, and mix of spices.
"Royal blanc"

Now that the autumn already begun in Germany I wear this a bit earlier than I thought I would...
I really have to wonder how anyone could perceive this as floral-woody-musk?! It's spices and powered woods (cedar and amber I can single out), with a bit of mellow single cream added. It is classy but playful and anyone who adores spicy orientals without musk and animalics should really try it!

This free sample was included with some other things that I ordered recently, so I decided to try it yesterday evening. It starts out as a spicy, slightly fruity oriental fragrance, heavy on the labdanum. To me the opening almost smells like ripe peaches spiced with cardamom and cloves, on a heavy amber base. I can’t smell milk in it, which is a very good thing given that I find the odor of milk absolutely disgusting. I don't really smell the saffron, either, because this delicate scent is easily overwhelmed by other notes.

This is a fairly linear scent that remains fruity, spicy, and ambery throughout the drydown, but becomes a little soapy towards the end. The sillage is good, and longevity average.!

my body chemistry+this fragrance=oriental spicy
cardamon, pepper, saffron and cedar are the most prominent for me with this scent-didn't know it should smell different, but reading these other reviews I'm surprised. Would love to smell the
perfume others smell, though I really like "mine" too. Am happy I bought it, nevertheless-since it's more of a winter scent, I will now have to wait till at least oct. to enjoy it again.

Creamy-milky peppery stuff, very nice! I like saffron on a woman and for myself too. Here, the saffon and orange blossom are puting this one over the top and this one is nearly a "gourmand" one. I'd like to eat this scent, so for me it is a woody-floral and gourmand. Amazing scent!

9/10

GET this one this scent is very nice your not going to be let down, I have about 15 bottles of many different scents,and i was looking for a sweet and spicey with a cream drydown and i found it,so I give this one five stars, so untile the next time cause im now looking for more scents to ad to my collection ALOHA...

It's quite a lot rougher and masculine in comparison to the other CN scents. Very spicy and woody and it seems to smell like a lot of other things (based on various reviews around the place). I can't quite place what I think it smells like but at a quick estimate it's along the lines of Michael Kors for Men. It's not as soft as the others, a bit sharper and drier.

Sweet and soft, very spicy fragance. It starts milky, with a mix of notes where the cumin is the star. I can't get the flowers or citrus here, only soft spices, as a delicious tea. It's comfortable and wearable, with moderate sillage. I think of it as a fall-winter fragance.
It reminds me a lot of Annayake Tsukimi.