Hello all,
I’ve returned with another side-by-side fragrance review and will be examining two of my favorite fashion-retailer-fragrances: 17 Oud Mosaic and 78 Vintage Green by Banana Republic!
I chose to review them in this format as I have sampled every fragrance offered by the company, and while they are patently disparate scents, I couldn’t choose a preference between them! I purchased one 15ml vaporisateur of each fragrance at the Banana Republic factory outlet in Ellenton, FL for an incredibly reasonable $12.50 per scent, especially when given their EdP concentrations!
From first misting, I fell in love with Oud Mosaic – 17’s ability to present oud, plum, and cardamom in equal parts, each without overpowering one’s nose. Oud Mosaic quickly opens with rose and saffron, offering hints of musk throughout its drydown and closes with a breath of amber. Additionally, the fragrance’s sillage lasts for at least 4 hours on my skin and even longer on my clothes. 78 Vintage Green is a completely different beast, entirely, projecting just as well as 17 but with an hour or two less on both skin and clothes in terms of its longevity.
Opening with a fresh wave of vetiver, Vintage Green quickly bursts forth with a bouquet of lime, mandarin, and various other green notes. Supported by a base of cedar and musk, the rich notes of fig, magnolia, and green tea are allowed to shine, making this a truly complex summer fragrance. Again, with such great differences between the two, I highly suggest visiting a Banana Republic store to try all of their fragrances before deciding between the two (if you’re going to buy any, that is!).
17 Oud Mosaic
- Concentration: Eau de Parfum
- Primary: Cardamom, Pepper, and Oud
- Secondary: Rose and Plum
- Tertiary: Musk and Saffron
- Sillage: Wow! The projection on 17 is incredible without overpowering.
- Longevity: Like all fragrances, Oud Mosaic fades on the wearer, over time, but I can get at least 5 hours combined on skin and clothes while its profile remains constant throughout the day.
- Versatility: Although an oud-forward scent, I see 17 as being both a masculine and feminine fragrances due to its sillage coupled with the notes of rose and plum.
- Originality: This is by far the most unique oud-centric fragrance I have found – while I love Oud de Robert Piguet, it is extremely myrrh-heavy while others tend to over-sweeten the drydown. Moreover, I see it working well in both summer and winter, in all settings.
- Score: 9/10
78 Vintage Green
- Concentration: Eau de Parfum
- Primary: Vetiver, Bergamot, and Lime
- Secondary: Fig, Magnolia, and Leafy Greens
- Tertiary: Musk, Cedar, and Jasmine
- Sillage: Like Oud Mosaic, Vintage Green projects well from its first spray until it wears off a few hours earlier than 17 would.
- Longevity: While projection is no issue, I have been getting roughly 2-3 hours on my skin and 3-4 hours on clothing, requiring a re-application at midday.
- Versatility: Unlike Oud Mosaic, I don’t see this as an all-weather fragrance given its powerful vetiver presentation, but I do see it working in any and all settings.
- Originality: While there are tons of vetiver-based fragrances available for the summer months (e.g. Mugler Cologne), I haven’t found many that are as multi-faceted or complex as 78, especially when given Vintage Green’s longevity compared to analogues.
- Score: 8/10
Both
- Packaging: The vaporisateurs are very high quality while their boxes are simple – black with a label to match the bottle inside.
- Price: While purchased at factory outlet prices, I think Oud Mosaic is well worth its MSRP as it is one of the most unique oud-based fragrances I have ever smelled. As for Vintage Green, it may be harder to sway someone’s opinion at full-price, but it is a great vetiver-forward summer scent for both men and women!
- Overall: While there are other good Banana Republic fragrances out there, I think that these are the hands-down winners in the group and would recommend both to either men or women as fun, summertime scents!
Thanks so much for reading!
