Today I am testing Costes, the fragrance created by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti and Rami Mekdachi for the fashionable Hotel Costes in Paris. The notes are lavender, bay-tree, coriander, white pepper, rose, incense, woods, and musk.
Costes starts as an aromatic herbal, rather heavy on the lavender and consequently a bit sharp. After a few minutes the coriander and pepper add a heavy dose of spice. I tried this on a test strip last year at Takashimaya, and pegged it as a spicy aromatic, but this is one of those fragrances that really needs to be tried on skin. Over the next half hour, it settles into a lightly spicy, soapy incense-woods scent with just a hint of rose. Eventually it smells like a lovely sandalwood incense soap, very soft and soothing, and close to the skin.
It is not quite my cup of tea — I rarely like soapy clean fragrances — but it is beautifully done, and very much in keeping with Giacobetti's minimalist style. It could easily be worn by either sex, and has developed something of a cult following since its release in 2004.
Costes is an Eau de Toilette, and the lasting power is average — about 3 or 4 hours. Other products in the Costes range include a bath gel, body lotion, massage oil, soap, room spray, and candle (the candle is said to be fabulous, but I haven't tried it).
The Eau de Toilette is available in a 125 ml glass bottle with stopper for around $129. For buying information, see the listing for Hotel Costes under Perfume Houses.
Hello R! I love this – but have never bought it. It is a good creation and lasts for hours. BTW Hotel Costes is a wee bit more than fashionable as you kindly put it – I would call it ultra trendy/hip maybe annoyingly so! Cool music though! 🙂
N, perhaps I should have used the word swanky? I have heard it is an interesting place 🙂
I also love the swanky Pershing Hall – great music and good cocktails. 🙂 Wonder when they will come out with a “Pershing” perfume! ;D
PS Andree Putman designed Pershing Hall. ;D
I've tried it in passing and didn't pay enough attention. Your review makes me want to try it again to see if I can discern the rose … and thanks for the design attribution. I love the background you provide on the perfumes you review …
And Olivia Giacobetti did Putman's perfume, so it is all connected and I must review the AP scent tomorrow!
Hi M, the rose is awfully muted, I doubt I would have noticed it if it were not listed in the notes. Costes does not have a floral character at all.
And thank YOU for the lovely compliments!
I love this as you know! This is my kind of spicy. I went so crazy looking for this one when no one in the USA had it, I had to order it from Brown's in the UK. I decided to got for it all and got the shower gel and lotion at the same time.
V, I have read that the candle is really wonderful, how are the body products? And BTW, does Browns ship to the US at a reasonable price?
Yes, the body products are great! And no, the shipping is not reasonable! Yikes! The weight and the exchange rate make it bad news! But I was in love and desperate at the time!
I would look to Lucky Scent for the Lotion. I think I saw someplace else that had body products in the USA.
Thanks for the info, I was wondering if the shipping rate would cancel out the cheaper option of the refill vs. the regular bottle!
I don't actually have a comment for this article. I just wanted to compliment you on the new look for your page. It looks so pretty and a little more user friendly. Plus, I dig the pale pink buttons. Great job!
You simply cannot imagine how long it took me to do that darn navigation bar on the top, so thank you so, so much!
I only sniffed the cap and found it nose-wrinkling, but now you make me want to go back and give it a real spin, because that whole clean incense thing is so what I'm into these days. I've had my eye on CdG Kyoto, for example, for a while now. Hmm, so Costes…I'll give it a dab next time I'm in Aedes.
I second that. Nice job!
You know, I tried that whole CdG incense series on paper test strips too, and should probably revisit those. Paper test strips are wonderful when you're shopping and can't put 80 things on your skin at once, but they can also be highly misleading…one of the great things about that Chandler Burr article in the NYer last month was the revelation — probably already obvious to everyone but me — that companies actually formulate with test strips in mind, e.g. make it smell good on paper for 10 minutes.
Thank you T! I'll be a real CSS programmer one of these days.
OK, now I want to try this. You meanie, NST.
I read that article too, but I don't think everyone is doing that. I have two very favorite fragrances, that I thought we terrible on paper. The latest was Burberry Red. That rhubarb note and the paper make for something acrid. What a lovely creamy fragrance this is really.
Gets you back for my new-found wish for a mural in my bedroom, L.
I am sure you are right! I need to try the new Burberry red, I love rhubarb in fragrance.
I adore this scent. It was first introduced to me by Beloved Victoria on Perfume of Life. I have both the spray and the big apothecary bottle of this scent. I do agree the longevity could be better but it's beautifully done if you love aromatic scents. I remember thinking it had Oud in it but I was totally wrong. I thought it smelt like Timbuktu L'Artisan Parfumeur and once again I was wrong. This scent is totally different animal and a beguiling one to me, IMO. Love the presentatation it comes and the color of the bottle, the juice and the bottle together represent passion to me here. It's a passionate scent , IMO for some strange reason. I know it's not your normal sexy type of scent at all. But I get a sort of muted sex appeal to it.
I had a coworker tell me I smelled great wearing this to work this past week. She said, “Damn, Armando, you smell great, what is that?” Of course, I had tell her it's Costes by Hotel Costes!
A lover of this scent, Yous truly,
Mando aka Armando 🙂
Mando, wow, that is a ringing endorsement! I wish I loved it that much — but Timbuktu is far more to my taste. Of course, I never give up, and maybe next time a sample of Costes comes my way I'll fall in love.
Une belle nouvelle en ce début d'été pour les amoureux des créations
d'Olivia Giacobetti dont COSTES :
L'Hôtel Costes à Paris vient d'ouvrir une nouvelle boutique – depuis hier – qui sert de nouvel écrin au très bel univers IUNX. Trois eaux sont disponibles pour le moment : L'Eau blanche, Splash Forte et Ether. 11 bougies sont également disponibles.
starts off smelling like red hots candy!!!!! love it but just doesnt last =(
It’s not a powerhouse scent, true.