Timbuktu L'Artisan Parfumeur 2004

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7.9 / 10 553 Ratings

Timbuktu is a popular perfume by L'Artisan Parfumeur for men and was released in 2004. The scent is spicy-woody. It is being marketed by Puig. Pronunciation

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Perfumer

Bertrand Duchaufour

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes	Pink pepper, Cardamom, Green mango
Heart Notes	Karo Karounde, Frankincense, Papyrus
Base Notes	Benzoin, Myrrh, Patchouli, Vetiver

Ratings

Scent

7.9 | 553 Ratings

Longevity

7.3 | 427 Ratings

Sillage

6.5 | 419 Ratings

Bottle

7.8 | 389 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 28.12.2020.

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Reviews

10/23/2020

5
Scent 4
Longevity 4
Sillage 4
Bottle

Oriane
113 Reviews

Oriane

Vetiver-Centric Fragrance

I was gifted a vintage bottle of Timbuktu by a lovely friend some long while back now. I did not test it right away, but I finally stumbled upon it last night after I bathed and decided to give it a go. I had some trepidation because of the vetiver note, but there are enough positive on-line reviews that I decided to try it before bed.

There have been many reviews of this fragrance on any number of websites, and I agree with many of the reviewers. This is a vetiver-centric scent to my nose. I also detect some dry woods and a bit of incense. I do not detect the other notes. I like it best in the deep dry down. I think it leans masculine, but I feel most vetiver-centric fragrances are masculine or lean masculine. As for the fragrance, it is okay, but it is not the kind of scent I would wear with any degree of regularity. I am sure there would be some days whence this fragrance would feel a good choice for the day or the evening, but I think they would be few compared to most of my other fragrances. I feel the same way about Donna Karan's Woman, although I like Timbuktu more. I like Timbuktu more than Chanel's widely beloved Sycamore, too. I can at least imagine myself wearing Timbuktu on occasion, but I cannot imagine where I would ever wear Sycamore which is beautifully done but just too much vetiver for my tastes. I enjoy a nice hay note like the one in Chergui, but vetiver smells very different to my nose. I would prefer hay in this fragrance much more than vetiver.

I think this is a nice fragrance for men; however, there are other men's fragrances I personally would prefer to smell on a man, e.g. Habit Rouge or vintage Aramis. I think it is unisex enough for women to wear it if they really love vetiver. It could be worn day or night at virtually any venue. I used about 8 sprays, and still performance was very average on my skin, but my bottle is quite old, and that may have something to do with it. It smells best to me in the deep dry down after the vetiver melds more with the woods and incense, but mind you, the vetiver never goes away in this composition, and I can smell it in the deep dry down still.

Fragrance: 5/10
Sillage: 4/10
Projection: 4/10
Longevity: 3/10

08/09/2020

9
Scent 7
Longevity 8
Sillage 8
Bottle

Carboytony
114 Reviews

Carboytony

Duchaufour magic

On my skin I get an opening of both green and ripe mango, juicy berries and hints of pepper and cardamom. Into the drydown beautiful Vetiver becomes prominent, a grassy accompaniment to the sweet fruits. Incense starts to arrive, just lightly, smoke just wafting in the breeze. Notes of ancient and revered papyrus add a woody tang with the exotic Karo-Karounde flower adding a slightly indolic floral to the mix. Myrrh, subtle and heavenly, you are aware of, and as this goes on, bits of Benzoin pulse through.

Beautiful!

1 Replies

04/07/2020

9.5
Scent 7
Longevity 7
Sillage 8
Bottle

Vrabec

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Vrabec

Top Review 14

En Voyage chez l'Artisan perfumer: 1 Timbuktu - between oasis and jungle.

I became aware of the house l'Artisan Parfumeur through longer activity in this forum, as well as Luca Turin's positive mention.
The house was founded in 1976, long before the "niche hype", with the aim of putting the craft back into the center of perfumery. To what extent this was only marketing or is still the case today, I am not able to judge. Here, too, the spirits are divided on Parfumo. In any case, the classic flacons with a golden cap, which are a suitable distinguishing feature of the brand, are a perfect match Apart from that, I think we are looking at Bertrand Duchaufour's masterpiece. He created Jubilation XXV as well as several other fragrances from L'Artisan Parfumeur.

The fragrance opens with a sweet and slushy note, which comes from the mango, but reminds me of poppy cake or marzipan. For some people, the mango seems overripe, fermented... comparable to the grapefruit of Terre d'Hermes. I smell sweet edible as well as unripe, hard and green mango. Pepper and cardamom are present, but never spicy, almost shyly they are content with their role as secondary actors. Similar things happen later on, vetiver takes its place alongside mango, incense, benzoin and myrrh appear thoughtful and unobtrusive. And this despite the fact that, as spicy, dry notes, they take up the fight against the wet, green, fruity components, which opponents might oppose.
The opposite is the case, they are given the long leash and that is what they want. So the green chords are louder, but every now and then they let the resins and spices take the stage. Thus an ensemble of jungle and oasis is created, of wicked and familiar. To fascinate beautifully, it takes me on a ride through the Orient and rainforest, savannah and steppe.

The fragrance can be classified neither exclusively in the modern nor in the classical direction, it has a little of both. Playful and fruity, but also tart - dry. It should be clear that this is not the highest form of enthusiasm from the outside. (I trace the comment; "you smell like grandfather's aftershave" back to vetiver)
Something similar I have never smelled (except for the drydown of Dzonghka) and I find that with increasing heat and sunshine it works just as well as in sultry weather.
Men over 25 can wear it, here I recommend a test to fans of Terre d'Hermes. It appeals to me very much, I smell incredible expressiveness. It smells more intellectual than Flirty, but not uninteresting
The Sillage is similarly weak as rated here, I would have wished for something more. But it should be clear that Timbuktu is not a banger. It acts as understatement, penetrance would destroy its appearance.

Thank you for reading my commentary and I plan to review more fragrances of the house in the future.

8 Replies

03/19/2020

7
Scent 8
Longevity 8
Sillage 6
Bottle

AnjaTom

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AnjaTom

THE most balanced mixture between modern and classic...

...but right at the beginning, he still doesn't really touch me!
I'm really very sensitive to "too classic" scents, I just don't like it!
Timbuktu lands here for me really in the middle, so the perfect mixture?
Not for me! Timbuktu is really 50:50, I personally prefer a 70:30 ratio (modern to classic). Without question, it is really well done (old version) and doesn't demand much from the wearer! An evergreen and pleasing scent for almost every occasion, for some even for the lonely island
It starts out fruity, some smell a mango, I can't really differentiate here, for me it's simply fruit (with a tendency to rot).
Also the incense plays here rather a subordinate role, for me it even smells slightly of rose.
The fruit decreases slightly over time, but overall the course is quite linear.

It remains a matter of taste! For me he does not fit into my collection!

3 Replies

03/13/2020

Altholz

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Altholz

Always TOP 10 favourite!

For me one of the TOP men's fragrances at all! Not too fruity and with a remarkably good papyrus-wood / vetiver base. The incense also does its part to create a cool and not too intrusive scent, which fortunately is outside the current Ambroxan paste trend!

12/28/2019

9.5
Scent 9
Longevity 8
Sillage 10
Bottle

RahulESJ
13 Reviews

RahulESJ

Timbukto | Timeless scent

Timbuktu is magical. It’s woody, dark and mysterious. I was lucky to get hold of the older formulation. I also love this bottle more than the current/ darker one. However, it’s just personal taste. ⁠
⁠
Coming back to Timbuktu, the note of mango gives it a zing/ sharpness and notes of vetiver, incense, and papyrus give it a masculine tone. The scent is well rounded, sophisticated and warm. Incense/ Myrhh are definitely the stars of the show and I love it. ⁠
⁠
If I had to compare it with another fragrance, to my nose it smells like a lighter version of Encre Noire with an oriental flair! Also, the vetiver also reminds me of Terre d’Hermes but only a little. ⁠
⁠
Timbuktu is timeless and evergreen. I can’t wait to hear it when it gets cooler. If you didn’t get a chance to smell this, I would highly recommend you to look into this one!⁠

⭕Instagram: @eternalscentjourney

10/28/2019

9.5
Scent 8
Longevity 6
Sillage 10
Bottle

Benedikt2019

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Benedikt2019

Very helpful Review 10

Oasis of the senses

For a long time I thought about how I would add a comment to this fragrance. The mere fact that I find it so difficult to establish a thematic reference pays Timbuktu a silent tribute. It is a scent with which I initially had my problems or to which I had no direct access. He kind of seemed "old" to me. That's the smell my grandpa wore - I thought to myself. Then autumn came and I thought I'd grab your rehearsal again. And wow, I was surprised, I suddenly heard an infinite depth, a pull into a hidden world, a journey to faraway lands and green oases. The idea of actually being in an oasis city (like Timbuktu is) is supported by incense and myrrh. These two scent components remain well dosed and make the scent oriental, but fortunately not smoky. Woods and vetivers as well as cardamom finally ensure that he gets his woody undertone and his smooth tones. For me, therefore, the fragrance can only be described in this trilogy: ORIENTAL_SPICY_WOODY!

Nor can I compare Timbuktu with any fragrance I have in my collection. I cannot renounce him and have worn him for several days in a row, which is really rare for me as I wear a different fragrance from my collection almost every day. It could become my new signature scent! I quickly realized that I finally had to buy it. And the beautiful, green and sublime bottle also goes perfectly with the fragrance and underlines its essence.

Timbuktu is also a true oasis in everyday life. I smell it and feel like on vacation, like in 1000 and one night, as if I was relieved of a moment of hectic and trouble and would lie under palm trees and watch the camels drinking. Moreover, it is a true feel-good scent. He makes it - just like Joop WOW! - to convey this feeling of security. One feels carried and enveloped.

Durability and Sillage are quite convincing with me. It lasts about 8-9 hours on my skin and the Sillage is perceptible about 3-4 hours on one arm length. Extra asked my sister to stop it :D

Nevertheless, this fragrance is truly not something for everyone! It may seem outdated to some and give the feeling that it should rather be worn by an older gentleman. So: test it at all costs! No blind buying! But if you are looking for a beautiful, dreamy and noble autumn scent, you might find it here.

P.S.: My mother only said about the scent, it smells like soap (well!)

Good evening,
Benedict

:)

4 Replies

08/15/2019

9
Scent 7
Longevity 7
Sillage 8
Bottle

Carlitos01
285 Reviews

Carlitos01

Helpful Review 8

A lively and fascinating scent from a lost world

I have been more than a couple of times in different regions of Africa - actually I was born in Africa. The entire continent is a journey of hot colors and warm scents.
A perfumer must be really sure about his work when such a powerful name like Timbuktu is used. One cannot avoid to recall sand coloured buildings and palaces, colorful fruits, a goat here and there, smiling people, some imposed vivid green, and the omnipresent desert wind scent.
Timbuktu - the fragrance - pierces your nostrils with an opening first moment of strong spices together with a tropical sweet fruit aroma. It's a hot perfume from the start. Later on, spices become even enhanced with an exquisite peppery floral touch, along with the lingering scent of frankincense.
As time passes you feel a second strong moment of resins along with the incense seasoned by a fainting sweet vanilla and an "African" dry, woody and smoky green vetiver. This balsamic green endures all through the drydown.
The perfume is good enough for 6 to 7 hours of longevity depending on the formulation. Sillage is somewhat discrete but you will get your money's worth with a couple more sprays for a four~five feet scent radius with an hour and a half of projection.
It's hot, it's green, it's dry, it's smoky, it's balsamic, it's woody, it's vetiver.
It's Central Africa, or even North Bolivia.
I am testing the white label flask pictured here in Parfumo.

How does Timbuktu faces my ratings?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Opening:....................8,5 (very good)
Drydown:...................9.5 (close to perfection)
Longevity:..................7.0 (less than 7 hours in my skin with 2 sprays)
Sillage:........................7.0 (up to 5 feet sillage with 1.5 hours projection with 2 sprays)
Uniqueness:..............9.5 (quite unique, evoquing some high standard vetiver fragrances, but different)
Wearability:...............9.0 (It's an all weather scent although a bit less appropriated in very cold days or nights)
Versatility:.................9.5 (all occasions except in the gym)
Compliments:...........7.0 (more a self pleaser than an attention grabber)
Quality:......................9.0 (above average quality ingredients)
Presentation:............8.0 (no comments; similar to almost all flasks from L'Artisan Parfumeur)
Price:..........................7.5 (€45,00 - 50 ml EDT)
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Overall rating: 8,32/10.0
between 7 and 8 =above average;
between 8 and 9 = recommended;
bigger than 9 = don't miss it;
Opinion: One of the best exquisite scents and I like it very much. A vetiver gem.
Recommended? Yes, but only if you like the scent of strong woody & smoky vetiver.
Blind buy worthy? No! Do try it before you buy it.

Music: "Survival" by OSIBISA

1 Replies

02/03/2019

8.5
Scent 7
Longevity 7
Sillage 9
Bottle

Bloodxclat

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Bloodxclat

Helpful Review 13

Caribbean Village Market

Basse Terre, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles.
Around noon on the dusty market place, the sun burns mercilessly on the old spice seller, who fills the glasses with fresh cardamom and nutmeg on his old white wooden boards. The young woman behind him ties her Bwe Bandé carefully but firmly with a thin string. Didi, the man with the tequila fruit, grinds green mangoes. Drumbeats penetrate from the nearby cemetery - incense, resin and dry herbs are burned

1 Replies

12/30/2018

10
Scent 8
Longevity 7
Sillage 9
Bottle

Jazzbob

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Jazzbob

Top Review 24

Timeless men's classic with a certain something

Making a connection between the name of a perfume and its fragrance is usually a good way to start a commentary. But Timbuktu should not come to most people's minds much more than that the city is somewhere in the middle of nowhere - more precisely, in Mali, on the edge of the Sahara. The source of inspiration for Bertrand Duchaufour's creation was the mixture of woods, roots, spices and resins, "Wusulan", which is widely used in West Africa as a perfume substitute in burnt form. This association may seem plausible to me, but when I smell Timbuktu, I think above all of the fact that Orient and Occident, nostalgia and modernity meet here.

Although the long-lasting foundation is formed by woody and balsamic notes, Timbuktu starts off fresh and ethereal - almost reminiscent of mint. I think that this impression is achieved by the cardamom and the initially cool incense. Furthermore, a slightly exotic side is created by the mango, which is fortunately used subtly and rather as an unripe fruit. How exactly Karo-Karounde should smell now, I don't know and there are different descriptions of them (warm, soft, fruity, sweet, indollic, animalistic), but Timbuktu has indeed a facet, which I can't classify exactly and could come from the African plant. For me, less frankincense than myrrh is also influential for the further course. In addition to the balsamic, this has a slightly sweet quality, which Duchaufour has added as well as the mango in discreet form. At warmer temperatures, however, I perceive both more strongly. These more modern notes are thwarted by a base of vetiver, patchouli and papyrus, which is thoroughly woody, slightly green, smoky and dry. From my point of view, all components form a perfect balance and are relatively closely interwoven. A really similar scent hasn't come under my nose yet.

That's why Timbuktu also falls into the timeless men's classic category for me. There are enough 80s retro hipster trash or unbalanced experiments in the niche market, but this creation doesn't seem too demanding despite the exotic notes and already a bit familiar in the drydown. Actually I would rather classify Timbuktu as an Ü35 fragrance, since he already has some maturity, but I have owned him myself for almost four years (I was 25 then) and he has fascinated me more and more while wearing. Despite a certain heaviness, Timbuktu is not only worn in the cold seasons. Even in summer it doesn't get too much for me and just, as already mentioned, changes more into the slightly fruity, balsamic direction. For me, there are very few perfumes that do not suffer from such changes due to very different temperatures. And while the oasis city, threatened by desertification, longs for it, Timbuktu ironically fits perfectly into rainy weather.

6 Replies

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