Boadicea the Victorious released Decade in 2019 as a Harrods exclusive, and it remains one of the house’s quieter successes. Unlike most modern rose perfumes, it skips oud entirely. Instead, it pairs two expensive rose materials, Bulgarian rose and Rose de Mai, with an unusual fruity spark of pineapple and a clean woody amber base. Community ratings sit around 7.7 out of 10 on Parfumo, with reviewers repeatedly calling it underrated.
What Does Boadicea the Victorious Decade Smell Like?
The opening is the most divisive phase. Saffron, aldehydes and pineapple arrive together, and several wearers describe the first minutes as scratchy or almost metallic. One Parfumo reviewer admitted needing ten attempts before the fragrance clicked. If you push through that stage, the heart takes over quickly: geranium, violet and a heavy dose of Hedione stretch the roses into something airy and radiant rather than jammy.
The drydown is where Decade earns its reputation. White musk, amber, patchouli, cypriol and guaiac wood form a dry, gently sweet base under the florals. Fragrantica reviewers compare it favorably to Montale Black Aoud’s territory but without the aggression, noting that the saffron and pineapple set it apart from generic rose ouds. The overall effect reads as a fresh garden rose over warm wood, slightly soapy, slightly powdery, never gourmand.
Performance
Performance is decent without being a monster. Consensus puts longevity at 6 to 8 hours on skin, with some wearers reporting closer to 4 hours in cooler weather. Parfumo users score longevity at 7.4 and sillage at 7.3 out of 10, which matches the moderate descriptor. The first hour projects politely within arm’s reach, then Decade settles into a soft skin scent with occasional wafts. For a parfum concentration at this price, many buyers expect more, and that expectation gap shows up in reviews. Application on fabric extends the lifespan noticeably.
Best Clone Or Alternative
Dua Decennium is the obvious alternative and the only widely known recreation. Dua built it from the same blueprint: both roses, saffron, pineapple, aldehydes, geranium, violet and the identical woody amber base, blended at 33 percent extrait strength in a 34ml bottle for $36. That is roughly fifteen times cheaper than the $535 retail price for 100ml of the original.
The tradeoffs are real. Dua’s house style leans on aromachemicals, so Decennium can smell sharper and louder than Decade’s smoother natural rose accord. The small bottle format divides opinion, and the fragrance is periodically vaulted, meaning you may have to wait for Dua to reopen it. Still, if your goal is to wear the scent rather than own the bottle, Decennium covers about 85 percent of the experience for pocket change by comparison.
When To Wear It
Decade fits spring through winter, which makes it versatile for a niche release. The bright aldehydic opening suits mild spring days, while the amber and woods carry it through fall evenings and winter date nights. Heat flattens it, so summer is its weakest season. Occasions lean dressy: dinners, events, office days in cool weather. Its moderate projection means it works in close quarters without offending anyone.
Who Should Buy It
Buy Decade if you love rose but dislike the oud-heavy style that dominates niche perfumery, and you want a polished unisex option with a distinctive fruity saffron twist. It also appeals to collectors who value the Harrods-exclusive status and Boadicea’s engraved tin bottles, which are genuinely well made.
Who Should Skip It
Skip it if the metallic aldehyde and saffron opening sounds risky, since that phase turns some people away entirely. Skip it if longevity matters more than composition, because moderate performance at this price is hard to defend. And skip it if budget drives your decision: try Dua Decennium first and only upgrade if the original’s smoother rose justifies the premium to your nose.
Final Verdict
Decade is a genuinely good fragrance trapped in a difficult commercial position. The rose, saffron and pineapple combination is distinctive, the drydown is elegant, and nothing mainstream smells quite like it. But six to eight hours of moderate performance for $535 asks a lot, especially with a faithful $36 alternative available. Rate it as a superb scent with poor value. Sample before buying, and let Decennium decide whether the original deserves a spot on your shelf.