Côte
Eau de Toilette, Clandestine Laboratories (2023)

I've tried a great number of Clandestine perfumes; this was my first purchase.

Like many perfume enthusiasts, finding warm weather fragrances is challenging for me. Aquatics smell dated and boring, colognes are too fleeting, fruity things are not for me. Clandestine Labs is sort of the perfect brand to make a nice warm weather fragrance, because nothing this guy makes is 'boring' - everything I tried will have at least one strong note or compositional quality which makes it seem unique. Whether you like it or not is another matter, but they are definitely worth trying.

The 'unique thing' is the lime leaf note. This is not a mainstream, synthetic citrus note, but a very green, slightly bitter, almost spicy aroma, which is more long lasting than a normal lime note, and further enhanced by blending it with florals and I get some woody vetiver. The effect is great - it is refreshing but also slightly soapy and astringent. It also lasts a long time.

As the top note fades - although I find it never really goes away - you have a base which seems unusually 'easy' for a CL fragrance. Rather than being dense, dry and complex, it is complex, but somehow very pleasant and daresay mainstream appealing? Maybe not, but it has a pleasant ambroxanish sweetness that makes it a very nice to smell through the entire day.

I would reiterate the comments that although this is an EDT concentration, the heft, complexity and performance of the scent resemble the CL perfumes, which are quite strong.

So to summarize, this is a great four season scent offering aromas you won't get anywhere else, with a spicy, uncommon quality that I personally found enjoyable. If you're looking for a fruity scent or an aquatic, look elsewhere, but if you are a fan of drier summer scents such as New West, or lighter Vetivers, give this one a try.

Côte by Clandestine Laboratories (2023) is named after Côte d’Ivoire, and according to the perfumer, is "inspired by a beautiful but tragic" schizophrenic ‘street kid’ he met shortly after moving to The Bronx, and what that kid might want to smell like if he lived back in his home country. As such, Côte is a mixture of citrus (mostly lime), animalic, resinous, and aromatic smells. Overall, this is going to be another one for lovers of the animalic style, especially those who already appreciate fragrances from the house like Vert by Clandestine Laboratories (2021) and Film Noir by Clandestine Laboratories (2021). This one sits somewhere between Vert and the leathery countenance of Certo by Clandestine Laboratories (2021), another fragrance that also banks on a sunny citric disposition before going in a more skin-smell direction.

Of course, that is not to say Côte smells similar to any of what I named above, just that it is another example of perfumer Mark Sage merging together themes that seem diametrically opposed, and walking away with something better for it. Côte merges the bracing and oftentimes clean scent of lime with a litany of resins including opoponax and elemi, which are apparent even in the opening salvo. The geranium and rose floral core helps the lime merge with the latter elements, while the cumin adds an extra speck of sweat and dirt alongside a woody backbone. The sourness of leather and the banana-like musky floral tones of ylang-ylang also make Côte a more lurid tropical experience than some may be comfortable with, but I rather enjoy it. Simply put, this is the smell of life in the tropics, not a Disney Resort where armed security keeps the natives off their own beaches. Bright, sour and sweet in turns,

Another interesting note is this fragrance represents the first eau de toilette from the house, although you'd really never know it with how strong Côte actually is, penetrating like island heat with its sillage and lasting all through a day. Some of that is the lime merged with the potent resins, and some of that may just be the overall sharpness of the accord. Late in the wear, the banana-like ylang-ylang becomes a real star player, and the "Funky Cold Medina" that is the start of the scent finally subsibes, making this more Juicy Fruit and less gigolo sweat than in the beginning. Will that late-game switch be enough to assuage haters of animalic tones? Eh, probably not, but the final verdict is this scent rewards you for going out of the safety of your tourist areas and visiting the actual streets of the port town by being infintely more interesting than a gift shop. Thumbs up