Boadicea the Victorious Vanquish

An opulent niche powerhouse.

Vanquish; part of Boadicea’s Blue Line, is the second of the line I’ve tried.
And by far my favourite.
The first I tried was Blue Sapphire, a popular favourite, but it was one that had the cherry-reminiscent note in it, which I dislike in all scents.
Vanquish, on the other hand, is a rich buffet of olfactory pleasures.
A hedonic experience, both visually and in the olfactory sense.
Thick, resinous, smoky and hovers close to the skin.

Initial Thoughts

Vanquish is a thick, heavy scent that sits close to the skin.
While it doesn’t project strongly, it does leave a heavy trail of sillage.
The opulence of the scent matches that of the presentation.

It comes in a 100mL bottle, cast from brilliant blue glass with gold toned stopper and engraved faceplate.
This bottle retails at $367USD.

The Olfactory Notes

Given the heavy, resinous nature of Vanquish, the scent has little in the top and packs the majority of its punch in the heart and base.

The top notes yield some general citrusiness, but it’s fleetingly overwhelmed by the power of the rest.

In the heart, a mixture of florals and spices are present.
It’s quite a complex blend, but a well balanced one.
Cited notes are jasmine, rose, saffron, cumin, violet, ginger and iris.
I can pick the jasmine, rose, cumin, ginger and iris.
The heart is relatively easy to distinguish from the base, as the base is largely resinous.

The base notes cite a powerhouse blend of amber, sandalwood, musk, benzoin, Cedarwood, cistus resin, fir balsam, oudh, patchouli and tobacco.
The resins provide most of the power, and the woods take a backseat.
The amber plays a mid-level role, smoothing out the haze of resin, with the tobacco adding a unique touch of flavour.
Presence of patchouli provides some sharpness, helping to balance the overall mix.

It’s quite an approachable scent for a heavy powerhouse, and I find it easier to wear than some other popular powerhouse scents like Amouage Interlude Man or Chanel’s new Le Lion, despite my undying love for the latter.

http://www.boadiceauae.com/product/vanquish/

Ratings

Longevity: 1/1

This is one of those scents you can apply in the morning, notice all day, continue with it to bed and still trace the after effects the next morning.

Projection: .8/1

While I did mention earlier that Vanquish sits close to the skin, I rate sillage in with projection and the sillage on this fragrance is quite strong.

Blend Quality: .8/1

The blend is excellent, but I have noted that certain stages become a tad cloying on me.

Presentation: 1/1

I can’t fault the presentation, it’s gorgeous.
Photographs come close to doing it justice, but not quite.

Personal Smell Score: .8/1

I love the smell; this kind of scent character is right up my alley.
However, the occasional cloying knocks a small amount off of this mark.

Total score: 4.4/5 A

What Would I Wear This With?

Vanquish is not necessarily a fragrance for cool weather only, but it does require wearing in dry weather, to avoid being overwhelming.
I’ve only worn it in cooler weather so far, since I’ve only discovered it during this cold season.
It’s quite a classy fragrance and pairs effortlessly with tailoring.
These are some outfits I think fit the vibe of Vanquish.

Louis Feraud Vintage Designer Suit Glow Up

Concluding Thoughts

Vanquish is one of the best Boadicea scents I’ve nosed, and one of the least challenging heavy scents I’ve come across.
Application must be done with caution, as it can overwhelm even the most diehard heavy scent fans if a heavy hand is used on the atomiser, but this is a beautiful beast.
Easily wearable with smart clothing, or anything with a touch of elegance to it, I’d also add this scent (very sparing application assumed) to my list of black tie appropriate fragrances.
It is well worth getting your nose on, and the beautiful bottle is a nice little bonus.