Fragrance houses come in many different shapes and forms, sometimes it’s a designer house looking to expand their portfolio, other times its a niche house that tackles finding scents that no one else is tackling and introducing us to different experiences through those scents, we also get established non-fragrance-brands looking to gain followers and create a lifestyle around their house, and sometimes it’s indie houses that enter the fragrance world because they want to reach a certain population in their own way…but through the art of scent, I think this is where Triangle Fragrances comes into play. Magda Khalifa, a veteran and book author, decided to bring her book’s teachings into the fragrance world, from talking to her, I can gather this is a venture 100% driven by her, by her desire to create something, I can respect that and although I haven’t read her book, I have tried her first fragrance aptly named “Victory”, the boldest of all fragrances she is releasing… and today, I will be reviewing it. Let's deep dive on it!
Notes
Cuban Tobacco, Vanilla, Russian Leather & Bourbon
Review
On the opening, this fragrance is all about the Tobacco and the Bourbon although it can sometimes feel more like cognac… either way, it’s boozy!. On first sniff, you can detect a subtle green leaf tobacco that quickly turns a bit darker, a strong boozy note is also part of the opening, this is not fresh or aquatic, this is dark from the get-go, this is like stepping into the Cigar room of a steakhouse or entering a bar full of old-school bikers, a very sharp and strong scent indeed. Notice one thing, Tobacco is not the same as cigarette smoke and this fragrance, to my nose, is not cigarette, it’s a clean & pleasing tobacco, it's not smoky or incense, it’s a tobacco note drenched in cognac, then taking that note and wrapping it in a leather accord.
The opening lasts for a good 15 minutes and that’s when the leather kicks in. Let me nerd out for a minute on the leather note, if you are into fragrances, you will eventually find out that leather as a scent cannot be extracted from the skin of an animal, leather is created through other notes like birch tar and styrax, or synthesized with compounds created in a lab, regardless of how it’s created, it’s reminiscent of the real thing and that is perhaps a big reason why people love it (Ombré Leather by Tom Ford was Fragrantica’s 2019 Fragrance of the year by popular vote). Suffice to say, the leather note in the fragrance world is here to stay and many fragrance nerds and followers aim to find that perfect leather note for them. Victory is all about that leather note, sharp, in your face, unapologetic, pleasing and dominating.
The drydown, for me, is doubling down on that leather note and this is where it gets interesting for me… this is leather from a sofa on that cigar room, that’s the perfect analogy for me, this is not a jacket scent, this is a sofa that has been exposed to that tobacco for years. What did the perfumers use to mitigate that…I have not idea, but they managed to do it.
Through the life of the fragrance you can expect the leather note to continue to dominate but you'll still get the boozy accord and the tobacco accord, vanilla is used to keep every other note from going "sour" and I think it does a good job at it. The life of the fragrance remains pretty linear, you don't get a lot of changes or spikes on notes until the scent fades into a skin scent (8+ hours before that happens)
Who is this for?
That was my first question when I tried it and through my testing, well, I actually asked Magda directly and I really enjoyed her response, she said: “This is for a business man, for a decision making guy who enjoys a good cigar and a good bourbon, for the guy who doesn’t normally wear fragrance, Victory can be an introduction to this world of fragrances”. I can agree with her direction, Victory is so dark, sharp, strong and definitely a in-your-face leather boozy fragrance. My thoughts were always that this fragrance is for the guy that isn’t the “citrus cologne wearing guy”, for the guy who will always shy away from a “fresh” scent and considers sharp scents to be the only thing they’ll apply to their skin, for the bike rider that just can’t get away from the leather scent and must have it at all times, for that guy, Triangle Fragrance created a winner.
Bottle & Pricing
The bottle is 3.4 oz (100ml) and its solid glass, hefty and truthfully a looker with the red and gold accents. The cap is snug (not magnetic) and you can lift the bottle by the cap. The atomizer is very decent and allows for a great application.
Currently, you can find Victory at the Triangle Fragrance website for $120.
Use & Performance
This fragrance is "beast mode", a monicker to describe a fragrance that both projects from the skin more than others, and lasts for a long time to boot. Triangle fragrance are bottled at 18% which puts them at an Eau de Parfum concentration , two to four sprays will project 2 feet from you for an hour or so and will last on your skin 8+ hours, depending on the weather and temperature. The testing strips that I used would hold the scent for at least 3 days! 3 days! On clothes…this scent will stay until you wash them, period.
This fragrance, for me, is better used in cold weather as it’ll cut through the cold with ease. During the summer months, it feels too heavy and cloying, although, I noticed that it feels better on a cloudy day or when you are not directly under the sun. This is not a gym scent nor does it aim to be that! You wear this for certain ocassions, when you want the fragrance to deliver a message and trust me, it'll do that.
Final Thoughts
Thanks for reading!
X.
As always, wear it because it complements you, not because of the compliments.
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