The Marc Jacobs fragrance line is mostly centered around fresh, happy fruity-florals, and Decadence goes for a 180º turn on that vibe to seek a “dark” aura.

Now, from the ads and the bottle (both of which I firmly dislike), I was frankly expecting little from this scent. A heavy, probably common “party/club” concoction, loud & & forgettable. And, for a few seconds, Decadence did feel like it would be a less sugary take on Carolina Herrera Good Girl, or an (even) less pleasant Paco Rabanne Pure XS For Her…

Until it unexpectedly turned into something quite different.

Review

Launched in 2015, Decadence is an Eau de Parfum composed by perfumers Annie Buzantian and Ann Gottlieb. It opens with a rough and dark earthy note that I could have sworn was patchouli, in a minty, chocolate-y tone which immediately reminded me of Mugler Angel. To my surprise, I then found out there’s no patchouli in Decadence¹. What I was actually smelling was saffron… but more on that soon.

This Angel impression is quickly gone, replaced by an equally brief and intense wave of what I can just describe as dark green. A penetrating, vegetable-like smell, with an acidic, bitter tone that actually made me turn my nose with an “ugh!”.

Fortunatelly, it then gets better – and way more interesting. As minutes go by, the notes in this “dark green” accord slowly blossom, showing their character more clearly. The “vegetables” impression becomes softer. The powderyness of iris settles, rooty but clean, contrasting with juicy, purple plum and the green touch of vetiver, which evokes the scent of soil. The saffron, in spite of not being a note I personally like, also shows itself in a subtle array of earthy, leathery and peppery tones, and I can’t help but be impressed by it. Finally, there’s a hint of resinous-sweet amber, and the unusual note of papyrus, which slowly comes through to bring a bitter-smoky, woody facet to this now very complex composition.

Forget the ads and the kitsch purse-bottle. Decadence doesn’t smell of fruit cocktails, cashmeran, vague white florals and praline. It doesn’t trasport you to a crowded, loud club, in sparkly mini-dress and stilletos. It smells of earth, vegetation-filled water, a faint trace of purple plums in a still air among dense leaves and smoky woods. It transports you to a deep, dark jungle. I see no stilettos around for miles; but a mysterious smoky eye might actually fit the picture.

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Fragrance Impressions

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Conclusion

Wearing this perfume was quite fascinating. As minutes passed, my impression of it went from “oh, my! This is awful!” to “wow, this is intricated, and so unique!”. I actually kept adding more half-stars to this as I wore it again, a couple of times. It went, like this, from 1 star to 3.

I’m still not sure I find Decadence very pleasant. It does have a weird, vegetables-like scent, and its earthy, ambery-green aura isn’t really my style… But I am impressed by its unexpected accords, the complexity in its note combination, and its interesting character.

Not a “generic” one at all, and probably not for everyone… but do give it a try! Love it or hate it, you’ll surely get to know a very unique fragrance!

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¹ I mostly like this note, but points to this scent for leaving it out, just for a change.