Korrigan EDP by Lubin Fragrance Review

Months ago, I received a bunch of niche fragrance samples from some higher end and/or more obscure designers. I hadn’t tested any of them out, but looked through the lot of them the other day, to see what I had exactly. Many of the options, seem to harp on the same notes of rose, oud, and saffron…in almost the same exact compositions. Then, I saw Korrigan by Lubin Paris, and reading the notes made me absolutely want to try this one out. I came in with no expectations, but how does this one smell? How does it perform? Is it worth a high price tag?

What does Korrigan EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: juniper berry, saffron, cognac, lavender, ambrette, whisky distillate, cedar, oudh, leather, vetiver, musks

Click here to try: Lubin Paris Korrigan Eau De Parfum 100ml

My Full Review

So, I was really excited to try Korrigan out, once I saw the boozy notes that were included within the composition. Even with the rather weird description on the back of the sample card, “In the Armorican countryside frolic the Korrigans at night. They come to harvest juniper berries and wild beechnuts. Then, in dark caves, the distill barley into spellbinding spirits, spicing them with saffron, musking them with ambrette, scenting them with lavender. During the solstice festivals, they all drink their elixirs out of leather pouches, causing bodies and souls to capsize.” The hell?

The opening of Korrigan features plenty of cognac and whisky. It is interesting that the boozy notes came through much more, when sprayed on a shirt, versus my skin. It was still apparent on my skin, but not to the same extent.

I also pick up on juniper berry and a metallic sort of saffron note. This fragrance has that warm alcoholic aroma but is super smooth and sweet.

While this fragrance doesn’t smell like anything else that I’ve come across, the juniper and lavender, do bring about thoughts of Luna Rossa Sport. It’s a familiar scent that is tucked away, in the heart of Korrigan, but all of the booze, leather, and sweet ambrette conceal it.

After the initial wave of the alcoholic notes pass, the lavender and leather really start to come through.

It’s calming and smooth. The leather is nice and rich, but there is a vanilla/nut quality that is in this fragrance. The strange description says beechnuts, but that’s not listed in the notes. I’m guessing there is some of that in their and it is mixing with the scent of the ambrette.

At this point, mostly what I get from Korrigan is leather, lavender, nuttiness, and saffron. The juniper/booze still hangs around, but the fragrance definitely shifts.

Finally, Korrigan dries down with a salty caramel note. Again, it must be the way the notes are playing off of one another, because it’s not listed. The leather and saffron surround the caramel-like smell, with a faded whiskey note gently hanging in the air. The Lubin scent now feels much drier and woodier than it had previously, but those notes still aren’t too heavy.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of this one is never all that powerful. Upon spraying, it can be loud and project itself, with its boozy warmth. However, it settles quickly, and is pretty moderate for the rest of the wear.

While it isn’t super powerful, the longevity is actually quite good, on my skin. It sticks around somewhere in the 7-9 hour range, depending on the day. Not insane, but very useful.

Seasonally, colder weather. Autumn and winter wear, all the way. Korrigan is listed as a unisex, while the start is pretty masculine, it does soften up into a true unisex fragrance. It can be worn casually, formally, or even out on a date.

Probably best for mid-20s and up. It’s a warm and cozy scent, but totally has a sexiness to it. It can be quite enthralling to experience. Not that everyone is going to love it, but it does have a unique vibe, and an intriguing one.

Overall Impressions of Korrigan EDP

Overall do I like this perfume? I really do. This one really caught my attention and had me wanting to wear it more often. Now, it wouldn’t be an everyday wear or something, that I’d always be in the mood for.

However, Korrigan is one that I would love to spray on during the winter months, and have it envelop me in a warm cloud. For a niche scent, this fragrance will enjoy a fairly wide appeal, but not a best-seller status.

I would recommend giving this a go, if the ingredients sound interesting to you. It’s really great, in my opinion.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.