Decadence Eau de Parfum

Very surprising, quite creative and indeed impressive perfume from Marc Jacobs. When I sampled it, it kept my nose busy for quite a time and I was happy to encounter a composition that did not shout "hey, here is my berries, my rose and a bit of leather or patch, I'm not dusky, I'm the modern chypre, like 2000 peers of mine flooding the shelves!" Decadence tells another story. And perhaps this is a cultural difference or one in perception but to me it does not do this decadently, hedonistically, or with exaggeration in any sense. To the contrary, I perceive it as a perfume of modesty and even restraint perhaps. It does not flaunt its riches, it does not try to join any bandwagon to prove its worth. It simply knows what it has, presents itself, and you either like it or not. If you are someone who thinks they do well with this kind of perfume, Decadence will be there to enhance your already established image of yourself. So, it is not like those fragrances that refer to wealth, decadence and whatnot simply by the re-arrangement of some already established notes or references. But if you think decadence is silk lingerie and a cigarette holder, it will not be out of place in the scene. Likewise, if you think decadence is owning your own paddock somewhere around your mansion, yes, you can go horseriding with it and then offer tea to your guests in quality china cups. Great for classical music concerts when you don't want to distract anyone from their experience of Chopin with some attar from Qatar. And interestingly, great for solo walks in the forest in the spring when you come across some lilac coloured flowers here and there. Maybe, That's nature's own decadence, but not in an in-your-face way like the word may suggest - and no, I would not be taking that handbag with me to any of these things. Decadence gives all these impressions to me with surprising accords of cool and warm together. It is like a modern, easily wearable and very light-handed version of classical compositions, albeit devoid of any risk or skank notes. This may be soulless or pleasant depending on where you look at it from. But there is that slight and safe vintage element, the warmth. Together with the wearability of cool and clean. I don't get the plum opening in Decadence because it is a bit alcoholy to my nose. In a minute, I get the iris though. Then I get three different sensations working well together. I like experiencing the iris and its root here a lot. It brings just the right colour in front of my eyes. It is creamy and clean, with just a bit of duskiness, or warmth from the root. Cool and warm at the same time. There is both an airiness and a pleasant, little smokiness. I don't notice saffron here but there is a light amber as well. Altogether, Decadence has a really long lasting heart with modest, clean but present florals resting on the modernized version of more classic bases. I like the slight smokiness it has during the drydown. The iris is less chalky, definitely less earthy and way cleaner and sweter than I am used to. But then Decadence is not a big risk taker in my perception. I like Decadence but I'm not in love with it. Still, I would find it very nice on the right person. I also like that Marc Jacobs is offfering something interesting without tagging it 'exclusive yadda yadda' to charge extraordinary prices. And the bottle itself. It is interesting and fun. But I find the lid of the big one really uncomfortable in my hands - like holding a camera that is too big for my size. I'm not super impressed. Decadence has medium sillage on my skin, but it is definitely not a skin scent. And it has good lasting power of more than 5 hours without losing its character. The drydown is ok, too. I think this is worth giving a chance.

(I only tried a sample, so I can't comment on packaging, and packaging doesn't matter to me because I won't pay more for a bottle that looks lovely on the counter when the contents are disappointing! ) Anyway, this reminds me exactly of the cheap 'pheromone perfumes" from decades ago; pure musk/animal in a one-note scent which never changes, yet clings, whether you like it or not, and they do cling. Very skin close and personal and will not identified as a perfume by others, IMHO, which worried me! It is just not for me nor others to smell on me, but I can't stop sniffing it on myself either...so weird. LOL! Gals: try it before you buy--seriously-- in case you have the same impression as I have. Gotta go: I think feral animals are circling me now....Best! ...Oh, also, if I wear this product around my gelding horse he goes rather crazy...this is not good...enough said. I'll trust his nose and response.

This smells like perfume. By that I mean it has a flowery artificial scent like magazines with perfume samples do and like the perfume counter at the mall. Too many florals for me. I associate it with middle aged moms. It screams “I’m wearing perfume”.

This is - me. The first time I can say "this is my second skin". Finally. I am shocked this is not being marketed as an unisex fragrance. If someone tried to trick me into believing this was an Amouage - I would have bought it. And it would be my favourite Amouage. Dense, syrupy, vibrant, relaxing....heavenly. I think this is my fourth or fifth bottle I currently enjoy....

Decadence is the perfect name for this perfume because everything about it is decadent. From the way it is packaged to the box the bottle and finally the fragrance. The box is wrapped in a very thin and tight cellophane which feels like a luxurious second skin. Over the cellophane is a cardboard sleeve with pictures of the bottle and advertising. You take off the slick cellophane to find a beautiful hunter green crushed velvet box. You open the lid and you first take out the bottle which is a green piece of thick cut glass. It's quite heavy and feels good in the hand. Then you have to unwrap the cap. The cap is wrapped in crisp black tissue paper and the newer versions of Decadence have a black tassel that is attached to the gold chain and that is wrapped in a nice plastic sleeve itself. Then once you are done unpackaging everything you finally get to the prize. The perfume itself. Its a heady mix of plum papyrus dill vanilla and heavy flowers. It is very strong and travels far and wide and lasts and lasts and lasts. This is a gourmand fragrance to me. It makes me think of a thick chocolate (decadent) souflee served in a fine dining establishment with a big dollup of fresh sugary whipped cream on top. i don't know what took me to long to get this but I'm glad I did. It is kind of like a grown up Pink Sugar. Definitely a fragrance that belongs in any upscale perfume collection.

I love the scent of this perfume but the design is bad it is too big and heavy

My favorite scent. I love it so much. It’s warm and seductive and lasts all day.

I was hoping for so much more when purchasing Marc Jacobs Decadence. It ended up being like a terribly expensive vase you inherit from a rich relative that could only be used as a spittoon out the back door. It was simply of no use for me. The quality of the bottle was very nice. But it didn't help the appeal in any way. It's just big, clunky, and ugly to me. The scent wasn't anything that I would have guessed to be perfume, with my eyes closed. The scent to my nose, can only be described as burying your face in a sweater that had been sprayed with a strong vintage perfume, and then stored in a cement back room of store that takes donated clothing. The perfume was a bit damp and musty smelling. It certainly wasn't nauseating like smelling a sweater that had been through this very process. But it definitely has a very similar odor. There are some that this could appeal to. For me, it was just not enjoyable. I do like some vintage type smells, but they must lend a soapy, dry cleanliness. I am not comfortable with musty or damp. The papyrus in this made this outdated, and the plum made it putrid for me. I won't say this is awful. But you simply must experience this before a purchase is made.

This is a gorgeous perfume that just plain doesn't work with my body chemistry. It smells great on paper and on other people, and on me it turns disgusting within twenty minutes of spraying. We're talking cat urine. Revolting. I cannot wear it and am grateful I had a sample first. The eau so decadent doesn't do the same thing at all, but it doesn't have that lush, ripe weight of this fragrance. This is a gorgeous scent for a woman who is self possessed and knows herself, but I would strongly recommend sampling it first.

I am one of the few that just find this fragrance disgusting. Didn't work for me at all. It's a warm floral, and I typically like florals. This has geriatric old lady scent all over it.