Comme des Garcons 2 EDP

Comme des Garcons 2 Eau de Parfum

Comme des Garcons 2 Eau de Parfum is a landmark chypre floral fragrance for women and men, composed by Mark Buxton and launched in 1999. One of the most conceptually ambitious and intellectually distinctive fragrances of its era, CdG 2 is built around an extraordinary heart accord that includes Ink one of perfumery's most unusual and celebrated note choices alongside a complex spice collection that gives the composition a dark, meditative, and entirely singular character. More than two decades after its launch, it remains a benchmark of avant-garde niche perfumery and a fragrance that rewards serious engagement.

Fragrance Profile

The opening is multi-layered and immediately unusual: Aldehydes contribute a soapy, effervescent classicism that grounds the composition in the tradition of great French perfumery, Angelica adds a dry, slightly bitter, herbal-musky quality, Tea introduces a clean, slightly astringent green warmth, Mandarin Orange provides a soft citrus brightness, and Maté brings a smoky, slightly bitter green depth that sets an unconventional, contemplative tone from the first breath. The heart is the composition's defining and most celebrated achievement: Ink a unique, slightly metallic, cool, and deeply abstract accord that evokes the smell of fresh printing ink is the creative centre of CdG 2, giving it an intellectual and artistic dimension that no other fragrance in the mainstream or niche world had attempted at the time of its launch. Magnolia adds a creamy, slightly lemony white floral softness that contrasts beautifully with the Ink's cool abstraction. The spice quartet of Nutmeg, West Indian Bay, Coriander, and Caraway, joined by Cinnamon, creates a complex, warm aromatic character each spice contributing a distinct quality: Nutmeg's woody warmth, West Indian Bay's clove-like spiced depth, Coriander's herbal lift, Caraway's dry anisic quality, and Cinnamon's familiar sweet heat. The base is richly chypre in character: Incense adds a dry, resinous, meditative smokiness, Patchouli contributes earthy depth, Vetiver provides its characteristic smoky-rooty grounding, Cedar adds dry woody structure, Amber provides resinous warmth, and Labdanum the classical chypre base material par excellence gives the dry-down its dark, animalic, resinous depth that is the hallmark of the great chypre tradition.

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes: Aldehydes, Angelica, Tea, Mandarin Orange, Maté

Heart Notes: Ink, Magnolia, Nutmeg, West Indian Bay, Coriander, Caraway, Cinnamon

Base Notes: Incense, Patchouli, Vetiver, Cedar, Amber, Labdanum

Scent Character

Chypre. Abstract. Spiced. Smoky. Earthy. Intellectual. Ink is the olfactory and conceptual heart of Comme des Garcons 2 cool, metallic, slightly industrial, and profoundly original, it gives the fragrance an artistic identity that is impossible to reduce to conventional fragrance language. The five-spice heart surrounding it creates a warm, complex aromatic backdrop that prevents the abstraction from becoming cold or alienating, and the Labdanum-Incense-Vetiver base gives the dry-down the full weight of the classical chypre tradition. This is a fragrance that challenges, rewards, and lingers in the memory.

Best For

Comme des Garcons 2 is a fragrance for women and men who are drawn to conceptual, avant-garde perfumery and want to wear something that makes a genuine intellectual statement. Its dark, spiced, chypre character suits cooler months, evening occasions, and any setting where individuality, depth, and a refusal of the conventional are the right qualities to project. It is also an essential reference fragrance for anyone serious about niche perfumery's history and development.

Why Choose Comme des Garcons 2

Mark Buxton's creation of the Ink accord and the decision by Comme des Garcons to build an entire fragrance around it represents one of the boldest and most successful creative risks in niche perfumery. The fact that CdG 2 remains in production and in conversation more than 25 years after its launch is testament to its enduring originality and quality. For those who want a chypre floral of genuine artistic ambition and historical significance, Comme des Garcons 2 is an irreplaceable and deeply rewarding choice.