Looking for a real review of Fulton & Roark’s perfumes? They’re hard to find, since they promote sales through affiliates so hard. But after testing five of their most popular scents—including Palmetto and Perpetua—I’m here to share some honest reflections about how they smell, how long they last, and whether they’re worth the price.
👉 Ready to try them? Shop Fulton & Roark here.
Fulton & Roark is doing a good job packaging its “American Fine Fragrance” scents — but can the products perform as well as the marketing? That’s what I wanted to find out. I wore each scent for several days, paid attention to how they evolved, and took notes on compliments (or lack thereof). Here’s what happened.
I purchased a custom Discovery Set, because I wanted to try a bunch at once, and I didn’t want to spend over $200 on something I had never smelled before. I’m glad I did, and some scents have really stuck with me, but on balance, I was dissatisfied.
- I would not pay $200(!) for any of these. I am not opposed to that amount per se, and would spend it on fragrances like Le Labo’s Vanille 44 or Thé Noir.
- I still think the $35 custom Discovery Set is actually a very good, very fun buy, and I would do it again — not least because it comes with a coupon for $30, which makes it a freebie if you think you’ll go ahead and order a full size.
- Note that the regular Discovery Sets, with their choice of fragrances, are five dollars cheaper.
Let’s be specific:
Their influencer budget must be astronomical
There’s a reason so many of the Fulton & Roark reviews out there are so positive: They offer some of the highest affiliate rates in the category. I guess it’s possible that all those rave reviews were well earned but — eh? Really? I’m not convinced. (Note: These links are absolutely affiliates, but as you can tell by this extremely middling review, it’s not worth it to me to lie for clicks.)
I do think the Discovery Kit set is a good deal!
$35 gets you five samples, which I wore over the course of about two months. A splurge, for sure, but one I could live with.
Fulton & Roark Ramble Review
They say: “Ramble opens with the fresh and inviting notes of Balsam Fir needles that intermingle with the earthy and mossy notes of Oakmoss and Bamboo Leaf to create an accord that evokes the smell of a lush forest.”
I say: Take a ’90s era Abercrombie model during a fall season, and bathe him in something that’s supposed to smell like a forest. This is Ramble. This is the one I liked most and liked least: There’s nothing complicated to my nose about it, it’s literally just like “quasi masculine forest” vibes, but it’s the one that made my clothes, several days later, smell best, and for that, I sort of loved it. It’s also the one that read the most obviously masculine to me, though it is bright and sunshine-y. Still: Picture an Abercrombie model standing topless in front of a mountain in Oregon, and you have it conjured with 0% deviation.
Fulton & Roark Devil’s Garden Review
They say: “Devil’s Garden combines the intriguing scent of Incense, the smoky and earthy notes of Haitian Vetiver Root, and the warm and aromatic essence of Cardamom.”
I say: Yeah, it definitely reads spicy, but not in an authentic way, but in a way that makes me think of a picture of Haitian Vetiver Root rather than Haitian Vetiver Root itself, you know what I mean? I can’t imagine anyone I know wearing this except someone who used to be a travel writer and gave it all up and now is super bummed about it!! And goes to the food court at the mall and wishes they were in Marrakesh.
Fulton & Roark Perpetua Review
They say: “Perpetua opens with a deep blend of Cedarwood and Mahogany, which is offset with clean and bright notes of Neroli, Bergamot, Jasmine, and Amber.”
I say: I swear all I smell is sweetness — my first sense was of marshmallow, than a slightly musky marshmallow. All I get is home fragrance vibes, and that home is an Airbnb 100% furnished from IKEA overlooking an unloved stretch of the Florida Gulf Coast.
Fulton & Roark Calle Ocho Review
They say: “Calle Ocho begins with the multifaceted notes of fine aged Rum: the swirling combination of woody Amber, Oak Wood, and Bourbon-like Vanilla.”
I say: This was the one I was most excited about, I love basically any vanilla fragrance, but it was so boring in the end. Like rum vibes, but rum vibes at a Hilton bar.
Fulton & Roark Cloudland Review
They say: “Cloudland is our homage to the experience of a summer rainstorm, and the intimacy of human touch.”
I say: I can’t unread this review that said it was like a Bath & Body Works candle named Sea Breeze, which is perfect, except for the fact that I personally believe it would not rise above the station of a Yankee Candle Co. mini-candle.
FAQ!
Is Fulton and Roark a good brand? I do think this this is a good brand. I certainly think it’s a brand with its marketing on lock. I do not think it is on the level of other luxury retailers like Le Labo or Diptyque, especially the former. The scents I tried disappeared too quickly.
Which Fulton and Roark scent is the best? Of those I tried, I liked Ramble best, and I liked it much more than Calle Ocho, which I see is widely liked elsehwere.
Is Fulton and Roark legit? Yes, Fulton and Roark is totally legit. My experience was very positive, even though I didn’t think the scents last long enough. I liked the discovery kit option and the $5 fee to pick the scents myself. That said — they offer a very high affiliate sales rate, and their products are expensive, so they’ve strongly incentivized people to positively review their products. I’d watch out for that.
What does Fulton and Roark Calle Ocho smell like? Officially Calle Ocho smells like a smoky rum with vanilla — sweet but smoky.
Are Fulton and Roark colognes worth it? The discovery kit was totally worth it, it was fun having five really different scents to play around with. But I haven’t bought full-size bottles of anything.
Can women wear Fulton and Roark? Yes, women can wear Fulton and Roark. (I am a woman, and I wore Fulton and Roark. Everything worked out great!) I do think some scents run more traditionally masculine than others, but I also think perfume is pretty flexible these days, and I didn’t feel like I was wearing something I shouldn’t.
How long does Fulton and Roark cologne last? Unfortunately, not long enough, at least on the skin. I did find that a couple of them lasted really well on my clothes, which I loved.
