Soul by Curve for Men
Liz Claiborne (2005)

Amber curved Curve's Soul
T'ward The Equator's long Arc
In Componentsphere.

Soul by Curve for Men (2005) is an odd job for sure. It's the only Curve flanker that does not have the signature Curve bottle, nor is it labelled as "Curve X", but rather "X by Curve". I wonder if they wanted to distance this a little further from the main Curve masculine line because it smelled markedly different, or if it was originally meant to be a stand-alone scent with it's own bottle design and all that just was saddled with the Curve tie-in last minute to add a boost of familiarity for sales? Can't say I care enough to really research the answer, because ultimately, this is no less mediocre than most scents in the line, it just has a tiny bit more to make it interesting. From presentation standpoint, Soul by Curve for Men does have an American 1970's Afro-centric vibe with it's medicine chest bottle design and sensual graphics laden with floral patterns and muted earth tones. Even the juice itself smells of an attempt to marry the richer smells of shea butter and olive oil skin and haircare products often found in the passively segregated "ethnic" aisle of most big box retailer health and beauty departments. Soul by Curve for Men is not as shameless of a cultural pander-job as the "Oriental/Asian" themed fougères of the 1960's (Hai Karate.. Jade East.. Black Belt... Tiger...), but Soul by Curve for Men does seem to be an embarrassingly tone-deaf attempt at a cultural exploitation nonetheless, which never sits well either with the intended demographic or anyone else having to look at such a happy trash fire of bad marketing ideas. The stuff just used to sit on end caps next to those same ethnic hair care sections when launched in places like Walmart or K-Mart, so you know that's what they were up to with it. Everyone was puzzled when they walked past it back then, and now the stuff is discontinued. I dared to buy a bottle out of morbid curiosity (that cost me $15 at the time), and I can honestly say it wasn't worth it, so whatever it sells for now is surely a bad deal too.

Bamboo, bergamot, green apple, mandarin orange, and what I can only describe as a tamarind ghost note appear in the opening. It's a very weird setup that almost kind of recalls the smell of carrot cake. The middle of Violet, sage, lavender, muguet, and hyacinth bring us back to more familiar "Curvy" territory, pun intended. That middle takes us to the base where the real afro-centric tie-in occurs, since palmetto spice and shea meet with sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, amber, musk, and only a touch of that standard Curve for Men base that's in almost all the Claiborne stuff for men. I'm not sure why saw palmetto and shea needed to be in this, because regardless of what culture a person is from, people usually enjoy the smell of their lotions, hairsprays or conditioners, but seldom want to smell like them. Outside the folks who get dreamy-eyed for food notes or shaving cream (whole genres of masculines in and of themselves), it seems a bit nonplus to go this direction as a flanker to a popular masculine line, but I have noticed a few standalone shea-themed perfumes aimed at women at this time, so maybe Claiborne weren't acting alone. Perfumer Laurent de Guernec, known mostly for his work with Bond No. 9, was saddled with Loc Dong (Portfolio line for Perry Ellis), and Jean-Marc Chaillan (who created Baldessarini in 2002), so there was more than enough talent here to save this from the gutter, but like most three-perfumer compositions, it feels overworked. In my brief time with Soul by Curve for Men, I found it to be too intently romantic of a flanker, like you needed candles lit and soft jazz playing in the background to properly enjoy it, and when wearing it to work, had a few people tell me that they thought I was trying to "put the moves" on someone when they smelled it. Of course, this also lends itself to another really embarrassing cultural stereotype about why men wear fragrance, and that's not the attention this product needed.

Overall, how a fragrance is marketed and to whom it is marketed for really has no bearing on it's quality and style. Young people enjoy wearing stuff like Old Spice (1937) and I'm sure I'm not the first person who isn't Italian to go nuts over the smell of Pino Silvestri (1955), so it Claiborne could have had a knockout flanker here in spite of it's obvious placement if they just try so hard, like Ikea does with it's "Swedish Kitchen" food cafeteria. Seriously, I've taken Swedish friends in there and they just laughed at lingonberry punch being on fountain and all the salted ham and smoked fish on display next to the Swedish meatballs. That's how Soul by Curve for Men comes across to literally anyone that saw it in the day. Luckily, we're a decade removed from that bungle now, and there's so much of it swimming online on overstock sales sites that the connection probably isn't made, but it's still not very good. I guess if you like carrot cake and shea butter lotion with some palmetto and amber, you might enjoy this. Then again, Claiborne was still doing cultural dilution with other masculine lines anyway, so literally nobody is really batting an eye at them. The bottle really is the coolest facet of this, and really reminds me of the old glass pill bottles aspirin used to come in, but I'm not going to spend money on that, let's be serious. Just another outstretched-hand flanker from Claiborne. You something's bad when online perfume discount sites were doing giveaways with this scent frequently as the prize, or doing 2 for 1 deals when the prices are already rock bottom on the juice. With prices going into entry-level niche territory with some really optimistic eBay scalpers trying to make bank on the word "discontinued" and "rare" (just another day in paradise with eBay, trust me), I can't help but laugh because nobody wanted this crap when new, nobody wanted it when it was being given away, and nobody will surely want it with a premium price tag on it. You know what to do here, move along to the next. Thumbs down

A bit too masculine for me. I liked the top notes of bamboo leaf, green apple, and bergamot. However, the middle and base are too aromatic on my skin. There is something odd about this, that I just can't pull it off, like other masculine fragrances.

Very interesting flanker of Curve original. Soul starts out with a fairly strong whiff of fruity tanginess, reminiscent of the original. Hints of spice start to peek through within minutes of application, married with the lavender in the heart.

The result is a steady, slightly powdery and aromatic formulation that isn't groundbreaking, but quite pleasant nonetheless. Like the original Curve, there is a slight resemblance to Creed's Green Irish Tweed in Soul Curve, offset slightly by the interesting bamboo and other base notes.

I picked up a clearance bottle of this frag from Ross a couple of years ago. After initially trying, and rejecting it. I thought it good to give it a fresh chance as part of my quest to find the best cheap fragrances. There are several threads on this topic, and Curve/Soul comes up now and again, giving me renewed hope. To set expectations, I review in real time, applying the frag and then commenting on what I get. I then edit this slightly, but what you are getting is a minute be minute account and not a recollection after the fact, for good or ill.

Initial spray is string alcohol with just a hint of citrus. 30 seconds later, it has settled down to a bergamot citrus blend with a distinctly green feel to it. This is presumably the bamboo listed in the notes. It's very approachable and pleasant. A nice mixture of notes that offers a somewhat new take on the citrus/fresh genre.

Sadly, this period is crazily short, lasting only about 2 mins. After an initial hint of lavender at the 1:30 mark after application, by 2:00 this fragrance abruptly transforms from citrus fresh to fougere. The lead notes are sage and lavender, again consistent with the "green" take on traditional notes. This too is completely approachable and perfectly nice though the notes themselves ring false, more "lavender-ish" than true lavender and the same with the sage. Violet is typically a strong note when it appears, but not in Soul, where it is a listed, but undetectable (at least to me) note.

This, sadly, is even shorter in duration than the top notes. By 3:15, these notes are about gone, replaced by a very typical amber/sandalwood base. Other base notes are listed, but I only detect these two. Again,the transition is abrupt, not the sort of clever morphing of notes arising elsewhere, even at a similar price point--the comparison between the handling of notes in Soul and the incomparable, but similarly priced, Bvlgari Black, is instructive in this regard.

Again, the notes are synthetic feeling. The amber is especially lifeless, lacking any hint of sweetness to cut the dryness of the sandalwood. This is a very arid take on these basenotes. Worse yet, unlike the happy, if somewhat cacophonous symphony of notes leading up to the big finish, the dry down is ordinary and is, dare I say it, somewhat soulless.

It remains like this, more or less unchanged, for the next 15 mins or so. Gradually, ever so gradually, things perk up a little. The amber sweetens, and a peppery background appears to enliven things. This is a fragrance that will not annoy, but lacks any sort of interest as well. It's the boring, but well meaning neighbor. He's nothing much to look at, but he'll lend you sugar or jumper cables without hesitation. He's a nice guy, but not someone you invite to the party.

Sillage is slightly below average. You'll leavea scent trail up to 30 mins from application, but not beyond this. Longevity is below average,about 3 hours. Beyond this, you can still pick up the scent, but only by burying your nose in your arm and inhaling almost to the point of asphyxiation.

It gets a thumbs down for offering too little at the price. It's totally inoffensive and mildly pleasant at the outset, but I want more from a frag. For the same price I can have any of the Aramis gentlemen's line of scents, all of which offer more interest.

Guys... I probably have seven (7) - maybe more now that I think about it - other Claiborne (i.e. Curve) fragrances and would say that I am a fan... I received Soul as a Christmas present (and four other bottles) from Sweetie and I love it... (there is some sentimental value in there too..)


Soul is a very pleasant fragrance that reminds me of the original Dior Fahrenheit, opening with a blend of aquatic, herbal, and "woodsy" notes then settling into a musky fragrance that is easy on the nose. It is not too distant from the original Curve. I am, however, disappointed in the projection/sillage and longevity of Soul, finding it only has (at best) average longevity - lasting about 3-4 hours on the skin and clothing. I prefer a solid 8 hours that can get me through the work day. The solution is simple - pack the bottle and reapply as needed - I just did during the lunch break..!!


Today is the first day wearing Soul and no compliments, i.e. the Wow Factor, have been received yet. No worries though - Sweetie has already "blessed" the juice with a thumbs up and a "whoa, that smells great - what is it..??" comment when I took it out of the bottle. It has potential.


Soul is packaged nicely and gives the impression of something more expensive. I am very fond of the Soul label, highlighting the words, "Love", "Passion", "Hope", and "Truth" - words to live by... Minor deduction in "cool points" on the nozzle - while the amount of spray is generous and sufficient, it looks "cheaply" manufactured. Again, slight deduction, from a nicely designed bottle/label.


For those enthusiasts with a big collection, or those on a budget, the real beauty of Soul is the price/value. Similar to other Claiborne fragrances, a large bottle can be purchased for under $20.00. Great deal (and scent) for the money..!! Soul also offers great flexibility/versatility to be worn during any season, time of day, or any event - I think it will work well for any occasion.


The tally for Soul is 4.3 stars out of five - if the longevity were greater, it would probably be close to my Top 10 list. Ride the wave and don't ask where it goes..!!