African Queen Pink Panther

Description

“My first impression of this was, “Holy …. God! This smells great!” Then it was “Wait a second, what the &*#! is this?” Since then, I’ve worn African Queen Pink Panther (AQPP) numerous times, and have come to the conclusion that AQPP is simply “Strange and beautiful.” You’ll understand what I mean as you read my description of the notes below…

AQPP starts off with a bit of tart and mouth-watering mandarin, which soon burns off to reveal a combination of Buchu (which provides a strange minty/cat-pee-like note) and Karo Karounde (a flower that smells a bit like flowery leather, but also smells a bit of feet). I’m sure there are other supporting notes, although my nose isn’t well trained enough to isolate them. Overall, AQPP smells like minty, citrusy human skin, glistening with sweat.

You might have noticed that I mentioned pee and feet in my description above. The reason I mention cat pee and feet in my description above, is that it’s totally necessary to do so – I simply have no other way to describe it, as this is one of the most unique fragrances I have ever encountered. At the same time, it doesn’t smell like pee or feet per se – while Kouros smells a bit like a urinal, AQPP actually smells fresh, clean and alive and almost like the smell of a healthy woman with a glistening layer of sweat on her skin. I’ve spoken to Salaam about the cat pee note, and he’s informed me that this is because Buchu (a member of the mint family) mimics some of the pheromones found in pee and sweat – thus, it makes for an incredibly sensual fragrance note, reminiscent of minty sweat (and, erhh cat pee). Don’t get me wrong though, I love this stuff.

AQPP is the type of fragrance that is teetering on a thin line between fantastic and off-putting, although the balance is so impeccable that it is totally wearable (although still very eccentric). In the same way that perfumers will add the famous and off-putting Civet to the base of many fragrances to make them feel alive, Salaam has added together two sensual ingredients (among other supporting notes), to yield a fragrance that not only awakens the deeply rooted animal inside all of us, but also smells just fresh enough to fit our conventional sense of what smells “good.”

I could ramble all day about this, so I’ll cut it short and just say “try it.” At the worst, you’ll try one of the most interesting fragrances on the market. At the best, you’ll reconnect with the type of smells that we, as humans, are hardwired to enjoy.

I don’t wear this very often outside of the house, as I find it better suited to a woman (thus the name African Queen) but I find myself constantly dabbing AQPP when I’m home alone. As for longevity and sillage, AQPP doesn’t project very loudly, yet it’s definitely noticeable. It doesn’t last longer than a few hours either, but for an all natural perfume, those are great feats.

In closing, if you enjoy Citrus Paradisi or Mugler Cologne (two fragrances that are also both simultaneously dirty and clean) you’ll be especially intrigued by African Queen Pink Panther. Furthermore, if AQPP is not animalic enough for your fancy, Salaam has also created another fragrance named African Queen BLACK Panther. AQBP is basically the same as AQPP, except it’s even more raw, sensual and human-like, with the mandarin note being no longer present. Both African Queens are great, but I prefer the Pink to the Black, as it’s a little more conventional, although less sensual.”

L’aventurier Basenotes

Discussion and reviews about the fragrance African Queen (Pink Panther) are found at:

www.basenotes.net/ID26130735.html

basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=223381

Outsiders 50 ml bottle

Photo courtesy Nathan Branch