Boxes
Saphir Boxes Eau de Parfum 200ml is built on five materials, and the three at the bottom are doing almost all of the work.
Lemon is the whole of the opening. It is sharp, bright and clean, the sort of start that lasts ten or fifteen minutes and then hands over, and there is nothing beside it to complicate matters. Lavender follows alone in the middle, herbal and cool with the faintly soapy quality that has made it a fixture of men's fragrance for more than a century.
The base is where the fragrance earns its reputation. Patchouli brings damp earth and a bitter edge, vetiver adds a smoky mineral dryness, and oakmoss finishes with a cool, earthy, slightly damp depth that has gone out of fashion in modern perfumery and is all the better for turning up here. Those three together make a dry, serious finish that feels considerably more expensive than the bottle it comes in.
The shape of the thing is simple: bright, then herbal, then dark. There is no fruit, no sweetness and nothing decorative anywhere in it, which will suit some people exactly and strike others as plain hard work. It is also a reminder of how men's fragrance smelled before everything turned sweet, and for a certain kind of buyer that is the entire attraction. It lasts well for an eau de parfum, the base holding for most of a day once the lemon has burned away, so do not judge it on the first quarter of an hour.
It is aimed at men, it works best in cooler weather, and at 200ml it costs very little per wearing. Saphir has been making perfume in Spain since 1940, and the company began as a family run warehouse in Zaragoza under the name Almacenes Corinto.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
Similar Notes
The Scent Vault
Join thousands earning on every order
Earn points as you shop, redeem for money off, and unlock member perks.
Find out more
The Scent Vault Gift Cards
Give the gift of choice
One card, every scent. Let them pick the fragrance that is truly them. Send it instantly by email, or schedule it for a future date with a message of your own.
Shop gift cards
