Notorious
Designed for freezing weather and outdoor night events, Notorious by Boadicea the Victorious provides a dark, uncompromising signature. Spiced saffron and creamy ylang-ylang cut through an initial wave of dark chocolate, leading directly into smoky resin and leathery castoreum. As hours pass, rich sandalwood and earthy patchouli anchor the projection on skin. It is built for seasoned wearers who prefer challenging, heavy projection scents for winter wear rather than quiet office fragrances.
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Performance Metrics
134 VOTESOpen Performance Breakdown 1 TAKE
Notorious delivers 10 to 12 hours of longevity on skin, with fabrics retaining the smoky leather note for days. Sillage projects 3 to 5 feet during the first three hours before settling into a persistent arms-length bubble. It thrives strictly in cold autumn and winter weather.
Notes Pyramid
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Notorious opens with bitter dark chocolate, cinnamon, and Sicilian mandarin before evolving into dense incense and animalic castoreum. The dry down turns dry and earthy, anchored by leather, oakmoss, and Haitian vetiver. The overall texture is heavy, smoky, and resinous.
Main Accords
10 MAPPEDThe warm spicy accord of cinnamon and saffron dominates the initial five minutes before melting into smoky leather and animalic castoreum. As the hours wear on, the sweet chocolate fades entirely, allowing earthy oakmoss, cedar, and vetiver to create a dry, woody leather aura on skin.
Community Data
264 TOTAL VOTESCOMMUNITY SENTIMENT
OWNERSHIP STATS
GENDER APPEAL
REVIEW SENTIMENT
When to Wear
TAP TO VOTETIME OF DAY · TAP TO VOTE
OCCASIONS · TAP TO VOTE
It looks easiest to wear in fall and spring. The vote picture leans most toward night.
Pros & Cons
Quick take before you sampleWHY PEOPLE MAY LIKE IT
Delivers outstanding 10 to 12 hour longevity on skin.
Projects heavily in cold autumn and winter air.
Features a dark chocolate opening that sets it apart from typical leathers.
Uses high-quality castoreum and incense notes for deep smokiness.
Ideal for outdoor evening events, bonfires, and cold weather.
Shares strong lineage with Boadicea Complex for fans of dark chypres.
Cuts through freezing winds without losing its woody leather base.
Requires only one or two sprays per application.
Appealing option for collectors seeking rare niche fragrances.
Dries down to a satisfying mossy patchouli and cedar finish.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
Dark chocolate top note disappears within fifteen minutes.
Heavy castoreum note can feel too aggressive for beginners.
Sillage is overly potent for small office spaces or warm rooms.
Discontinued status makes bottles difficult and expensive to find.
Unsuitable for spring, summer, or high humidity wear.
Opening citrus and cinnamon fade before reaching the heart phase.
Animalic leather profile lacks sweetness in the dry down.
Polarizing scent profile that is unsafe for blind buying.
High retail cost creates a steep barrier for casual wearers.
Requires sub-zero or crisp autumn temperatures to shine.
Fragranxe Review
EDITORIAL“Boadicea the Victorious Notorious Review: Dark Chocolate and Leather”
Notorious by Boadicea the Victorious makes an immediate impression when sprayed. The first blast hits with a bitter dark chocolate note, spiced heavily with cinnamon and saffron, along with a brief sparkle of Sicilian mandarin. It is an intriguing opening that tricks you into expecting a rich gourmand. However, the chocolate note is surprisingly short-lived on skin, serving as a brief prelude before the darker elements emerge.
Within fifteen minutes, the gourmand sweetness recedes completely. Dense incense and raw castoreum rise from the heart, transforming the fragrance into a smoky, animalic leather chypre. The middle phase feels dark and slightly resinous, elevated by rock rose. As it dries down over the next several hours, patchouli, oakmoss, and Virginia cedar anchor the blend, leaving a dry, woody leather trail on skin.
On warm skin, the transition from top to base happens rapidly. The warm spicy accords of cinnamon and saffron fuse with the castoreum, creating an intensely animalic haze. The leather here is unrefined and smoky rather than soft or buttery. As the hours pass, the cedar and vetiver dry out the sweetness entirely, ensuring the final phase stays earthy, mossy, and distinctly woodsy.
Performance is impressive, easily lasting 10 to 12 hours on skin and multiple days on clothing. Projection is strong for the first three hours, throwing several feet in cold outdoor air. Because of its weight and smoky intensity, Notorious shines during cold fall and winter nights. It feels right at home at outdoor bonfire events, crisp autumn walks, or formal evening gatherings in sub-zero weather.
This is not a safe blind buy or an easy crowd-pleaser for office wear. The heavy dose of castoreum and smoky incense will polarize casual wearers who expect a smooth vanilla or sweet gourmand. Fans of Boadicea's legendary Complex will recognize the shared DNA, though Notorious introduces a darker, slightly spice-laden opening. It leans masculine and suits confident fragrance enthusiasts who appreciate challenging leather compositions.
Notorious is a bold, uncompromising scent that demands the right mood and climate. While the quick departure of the dark chocolate note might disappoint gourmand seekers, the resulting smoky leather chypre is deeply satisfying for cold weather. If you can locate a bottle or sample, it is well worth testing for cold-weather evening wear.
FAQs
What does Notorious by Boadicea the Victorious smell like?+
Notorious opens with a bitter dark chocolate burst spiced with cinnamon and mandarin. It quickly transitions into a heavy, smoky leather heart powered by incense and castoreum. The dry down settles into an earthy base of oakmoss, patchouli, and sandalwood.
How long does Notorious last on skin?+
Notorious provides 10 to 12 hours of longevity on skin after application. On heavy winter clothing like woolen coats or scarves, the smoky leather and incense base notes can remain noticeable for several days.
How strong is the sillage of Notorious?+
Sillage is strong to enormous during the first three hours, projecting easily beyond an arm's length. It creates a noticeable smoky aura around the wearer before gradually softening into a dense scent bubble for the rest of the day.
Is the opening note of dark chocolate long lasting?+
No, the dark chocolate top note is brief. It creates a rich opening alongside cinnamon and Sicilian mandarin for about ten to fifteen minutes before giving way to smoky incense and animalic castoreum in the mid phase.
What seasons are best for wearing Notorious?+
Notorious is strictly a cold-weather fragrance designed for fall and winter. The heavy leather, castoreum, and resinous incense accords require crisp outdoor air and cold temperatures to keep the dense smokiness from feeling suffocating.
What occasions suit Notorious best?+
Notorious fits evening events, outdoor bonfires, winter festivals, and crisp night gatherings. Its intense projection and heavy leather profile make it unsuitable for quiet office settings, gym wear, or enclosed warm spaces.
Is Notorious more masculine or feminine?+
Boadicea markets Notorious as unisex, but its heavy leather, animalic castoreum, and smoky incense notes lean distinctly masculine. Women who enjoy dark, non-sweet leather chypres can also wear it comfortably in cold weather.
How does Notorious compare to Boadicea Complex?+
Notorious shares a very similar smoky leather DNA with Complex. The primary difference lies in the opening, where Notorious introduces a brief dark chocolate and cinnamon note before settling into the familiar dark leather chypre base.
Is Notorious suitable for a blind buy?+
Notorious is not a safe blind buy due to its heavy castoreum note and strong smoky sillage. Buyers expecting a sweet chocolate fragrance will be surprised by the intense leather dry down, so sampling first is recommended.
Can Notorious be worn as a daily signature scent?+
Notorious is too potent and heavy for daily year-round wear. While it works as a signature evening scent during freezing winter months, its intense smoke profile is too aggressive for casual daytime or summer routines.
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Dupes & Alternatives
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For a similar dark leather signature from the same house, Boadicea Complex offers an almost identical smoky foundation without the chocolate top note. Tom Ford Tuscan Leather provides a sweeter raspberry twist on leather, while Memo African Leather leans brighter with spicy cardamom.
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