New Fragrance Review: Beaufort London Vi Et Armis + British East Indies Company Draw

London Night, Whiskey & Tea. By Joseph Pennell. 1909

London Night, Whiskey & Tea. By Joseph Pennell. 1909

Emotional excitement reaches men through tea, tobacco, opium, whiskey, and religion”-George Bernard Shaw

-leo crabtree beaufort london vi et armis

UK Drummer for Prodigy and Creative Director Leo Crabtree of Beaufort London and Vi Et Armis (photos courtesy of Beaufort)

Vi et Armis  by BeauFort London Come Hell Or High Water collection, (formerly known as East India)  evokes the darker side of British History. Beaufort London was founded by Creative Director, musician (drummer with the band Prodigy) and writer Leo Crabtree.   We have been  fans of this UK brand since  we first discovered it in 2015 and  The Nosey Artist wrote about the blood  and brandy soaked 1805 homage to the Battle of Trafalgar. They are bold, tempestuous fragrances inspired by the high seas and even without the intriguing backstories, incredibly finely crafted.  

map of the British Empire in 1886

map of the British Empire in 1886

 The name Vi Et Armis Force of Arms was the motto of the British East Indies Co  (Latin for Force and Arms).    During the height of British Imperialism,  their navy was unparalleled as was their  exploration and perhaps exploiitation  as  traders. This eau de parfum is a heady narcotic that pays tribute to the wealth Great Britain received (or took depending who is telling the story) as they dominated  international seas trade around the world …from Asia, India, Africa, The Americas and the Caribbean islands.

Opium Stall , Cairo 1841 By William James Müller

Opium Stall , Cairo 1841 By William James Müller

The opening is a beguiling aroma of cardamom beans soaked in iced whiskey that morphs into an addictive cloud of  opium  floating  on golden and darkened waves of tobacco and tea leaves. As the scent dries down the sweet notes of the tobacco take center stage and  besots the senses in the manner only the finest pipe tobacco can achieve. Vi Et Armis is a scented map of the luxury goods that fueled the Empire and is one of the best boozy/tobacco scents on the market today (and in our opinion  gets our rare recommendation for a blind buy). Do not hesitate to  wear Vi et Armis during the summer as the tea and opium accords bloom in the heat,  but we both cannot wait until the cooler weather when the strong base notes of oud and tobacco will project warmth onto the bleak winter landscape. This is our favorite from the collection to date and while leaning masculine it is a fragrance for confident women as well.   Sillage is strong enough to catch the attention of passerbys; Michelyn had quite a few men stop her and ask her what  scent she was wearing (thus she we will be draining her sample dry).   Vie et Armis has all day longevity and the plush pillow and billows  of opium and tobacco linger into the night.  Beaufort has a unique scale of measuring  their fragrances'  strength and while they feel Vi Et Armis is the equivalent of a light breeze, there's a storm ahead.

Notes:  Cardamom, Black Tea Leaf, Tea, Whiskey, Opium, Tobacco, Oud, Birch

Michelyn Camen , Editor in Chief and The Nosey Artist, Contributor

British soldiers drinking relaxing at a sutler's booth, 1808

British soldiers drinking  at a Sutler's booth, 1808

 Country Before Pleasure by The Nosey Artist

Sip slowly young man you have much to learn,

Listen intently as you await your turn

When the pipe gets passed and it reaches your hand,

Let the soul leave the body but remember your land

You are Great Britain’s own tried and true,

A son of the Queen your blood runs blue

All you survey take in with care,

A wise man looks but only a fool stares

The docks are your market the sea is your field,

The deals that you make are the fruits that you yield

Be cautious…

To rush is to miss the way,

Deal right the first time and you won't need another day

Be cautious…

Country before pleasure,

Sip slowly young man

Sip slowly…

 

Disclaimer:  We received our samples of Vi et Armis from Twisted Lily

Art Direction: Michelyn

vi et armis beaufort london

Vi Et Armis Eau de Parfum courtesy of @beaufortlondon

 Thanks to Leo Crabtree of Beaufort London we have a 50 ml bottle for  a registered Cafleurebon reader in the EU, USA or Canada. Please leave a comment with what you liked about the review of Vie et Armis or your favorite line from The Nosey Artist’s prose. If there is a Beaufort London fragrance you want to try or wear please tell us that too.  Draw closes  July  23, 2016

follow us @cafleurebon  @beaufortlondon  on instagram

 We announce the winners on our site and Facebook page so be sure to like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option or your dream prize will just be spilled perfume.

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42 comments

  • Oh boy!! this sounds AMAZING! Tobacco is my favorite note. I love that you were stopped and asked what you were wearing, Michelyn! How fun!! I haven’t tried any of Beaufort’s line, though I’ve wanted to. They all sound intriguing, but this obe is a sure fire winner for me, I’m sure. What does opium smell like and how did they know??!! In the US!

  • “The opening is a beguiling aroma of cardamom soaked in whiskey that morphs into an extremely addictive opium floating on a golden and darkened waves of tobacco and tea leaves. As the scent dries down the sweet notes of the tobacco take center stage and besots the senses in the manner only the finest pipe tobacco can.” My god, with a description that decadent and dark, how could you not want to try it? Vi et Armis, please.

  • fazalcheema says:

    I am intrigued by Vie et Armis because it draws its inspiration from British trading history which played an important role in British Empire. It has dark notes like opium and seems like a dense tobacco creation. I have not tried any from the brand. I am in the US.

  • Okay I hope I win this draw but regardless I just may have to blind buy this. Love Prodigy, what a cool sequel for Leo. Tobacco, tea, and cardamom? Yes please. And I love the inspiration for t1805fragrance, the “blood and brandy” soaked Battle of Trafalgar, how evocative! Thanks for the article and draw! I’m in Canada! 🙂

  • Sounds like a great cold weather fragrance. I’d like to try Beaufort’s Lignum Vitae because it has a biscuit note (whatever that might be). What I liked about the review was this line, “Michelyn had quite a few men stop her and ask her what scent she was wearing (thus she will be draining her sample dry).” USA

  • “(or took, depending on who is telling the story)” is very much to the point. I am not familiar with Beaufort London, but would be interested in trying Vi et Armis. I’m in the USA.

  • Oh this fragrance looks amazing tea, tobacco, opium, whiskey amazing fragrance notes. I love the description of this fragrance. the fragrance I would love to try from Beaufort London is Vi Et Armis. I live in America I would love 2 win this fragrance.

  • Wonderful review! I very enjoyed to read it. The old British Empire is a very interesting part from the history. And I very like the whole prose also. So interesting.
    I have never tried any of the Beaufort London fragrance, but all are sounds really fantastic. To me Lignum Vitae sounds the most intriguing, because of the biscuit note. Thank you for the chance. I live in Europe.

  • Recently read about couer de noire so I have been fascinated by this line and by the founder Leo crabtree. I would love to smell the combination of black teas and tobacco and cardamom soaked in whiskey. I liked the Nosey Artists story of of serving the Queen and drinking with his mates very imaginative
    I live in Canada

  • Lellabelle says:

    This perfume was formerly known as East India (one of the original Beaufort trio), and the new name Vi et Armis (Latin for ‘by force and arms’) is the motto of the British East India trading company.

    Perfumes inspired by history can be fascinating, and Vi et Armis is a nod to the importance of trade to the British Empire during this period, with notes inspired by the import and export goods of the East India Trading company, a major force at the time. Add the narcotic nature of some of the traded items, and you have a recipient for a heady and evocative perfume!

    I haven’t yet tried anything by Beaufort (they’ve been difficult to get samples of in North America until very recently), but have had my eye on this one since its inception. The black bottles are a perfect fit for the dark histories and inspirations, and for the complex and challenging scent stories. I would LOVE to win this one. Please enter me for the draw! Canada please.

  • Marcopietro says:

    Great review! I love tobacco note and this scent sounds perfect to me.
    “A wise man looks bat only a fool stares” is one of my favorites line of The Nosey Artist’s prose. I tried Beaufort 1805 and I love it! It’s so powerful and magnetic! I’d like to try now Lignum Vitae or any other of their line.
    I live in Italy.
    Thanks!

  • “A wise man looks, but only a fool stares” is my favorite line of the poem. I have never tried anything from this line, but am intrigued. Please enter me. Thanks > I am in the USA.

  • Hikmat Sher Afridi says:

    This is a new impressive perfume house to me. The three perfumes of Beaufort London are luring & look awesome as the notes are right to my alley. I love challenging, dark, potent, heavy perfumes.
    The blind buy recommendation for me is enough & would blindly buy Vi Et Armis, 1805 and Coeur De Noir.
    “Deal right the first time and you won’t need another day” is a my favorite line of the poem.
    Thanks to Leo Crabtree of Beaufort London and Cafleurebon for the generosity & draw.
    Participating by giving my relative address in US.

  • Sounds really interesting because of the black tea note and opium accord, My favorite line of The Nosey Artist’s prose is : “The deals that you make are the fruits that you yield…”
    I’ve never tried any Beaufort scents. Thank you for the draw!
    I live in Europe

  • To rush is to miss the way, this is the line I agree with!
    The description left me mesmsrized, it had me right at the beginning with whiskey soaked cardamom. I love all the other notes, black tea and tobacco are among my favourites. Must be quite something! Thank kyou for the draw I am in the UK

  • EstherHebe says:

    I find the description of the Vi et Armis very visual…when I close my eyes I’ll be a part of this history. I can imagine how the smell was in the cargo area of 18th-century sailing ship that transported cinnamon, tobacco and opium.
    I never heard about Beaufort London but I would buy blind one of their perfumes…
    All three sounds amazing….

    Thanks Leo Crabtree and Cafleurebon for the oppertunity to get acquainted with these scents…I live in the Netherlands

  • Wayne Hollander says:

    The Shaw quote told me everything I need to know about the house. The opening line of this fragrance’s description:
    “The opening is a beguiling aroma of cardamom beans soaked in iced whiskey = ” SOLD me. I visited the brand’s website – I WANT THEM ALL! s per usual the visuals are spot-on and I wish I could write poetry like that:)
    I think this is the most stimulating house I’ve read about here in quite some time! Good luck to me!! And cheers from NYC, NY!

  • I liked the ” iced whiskey” and opium part in the description of the fragrance and would like to try it myself. I live in Europe. Thanks!

  • Scensodine says:

    I love the review form A to Z! The history behind it but most of all i like that there is a storm ahead, haha! I like surprises a lot! And as i never had the chance to smell anything of this house yet, all 4 fragrances are alluring. If i have to pick though, i would go for 1805 Tonnerre Eau De Parfum because of the gunpowder. That makes me curious as hell, LOL!

    Thank you for this great draw and now fingers crossed that i will be the lucky one 🙂

    I live in the Netherlands!

  • Holy Smokes! the description: “a beguiling aroma of cardamom beans soaked in iced whiskey that morphs into an addictive cloud of opium floating on golden and darkened waves of tobacco and tea leaves”. Sounds like song lyrics and is very intriguing:) Im in the USA

  • teresa310 says:

    Opium and tobacco together is a real challenge to my nose and senses and what is life wuthout a challenge? I am usually into lighter fragrances but this sounds too intriguing. I want to try it.

    My favorite lines are

    “When the pipe gets passed and it reaches your hand,

    Let the soul leave the body but remember your land…”

    I hope the perfume is as interestingly old-fashionned as these words.

    (EU)

  • I love tobacco in almost every form, vanilla-scented pipe tobacco in Aimez-Moi by Caron as well as ashy Fumerie Turque or fresh and juicy Miller Harris’ Feuilles de Tabac. And when tobacco is combined with whiskey, I just can’t say no. Such a perfume is better than smoking or drinking 🙂
    I like the poem, especially this part: “A wise man looks but only a fool stares”. Thank you for the draw. EU.

  • I really like the discription of how the perfume change in the skin.I havent the opportunity to try any of The Nosey Artist’s prose.I would like to try Vie et Armis.I live in Greece.Ty for the draw!!!

  • cinnamon tree says:

    I am intrigued by “bold, tempestuous fragrances inspired by the high seas and even without the intriguing backstories, incredibly finely crafted”. Also, cardamom soaked in whisky sounds yummy.

    I would love to smell also 1805 Tonnerre and Coeur de Noir.

    It was so original and inspiring review, thank you! I live in Europe.

  • Toblerone says:

    I’ve never tried any Beaufort fragrance but after seeing their website and the descriptions, I want to try all of them. I am waiting for the reviews of the other three scents because I enjoyed this one very much, especially The Nosey Artist’s poem. I’d love to win the bottle! I live in the EU.

  • concertslover says:

    Sipping whiskey along with the aromas of Tea and Tabac, the prose mentioning her majesty’s army is reminiscent of either our revolution or the war of 1812 where the english army mobilized versus us here in the usa and a visual of a soldiers life. This seems like a great scent to try. Thank you.
    From USA

  • I love the description of cardomom pods soaked in whiskey! And I think the concept behind this brand is so interesting. I would love to try any of their scents as I am totally unfamiliar with this line. Thanks . USA

  • “Narcotic” fragrances are something I love. And there is so much good in Vi et Armis: tobacco, black tea, whisky, cardamom. The notes speak to me much more than the history behind the name (sorry if anyone finds it disrespectful). I’d also love to try Lignum Vitae because of the juniperberry note.
    My favorite line from the poem is “A wise man looks but only a fool stares”.
    Thank you for the draw. I am in the EU.

  • This sounds like a perfect fragrance. I love the deep, dark scents. I can smell the cardamom, tobacco, and tea just reading this review! I’d absolutely love to try it. It’s a pleasant surprise to see a fragrance with such dominant notes recommendes as a blind buy. I love these kind of scents, but usually they aren’t for everyone. Maybe this one is an exception? I live in Canada, thanks.

  • Diana Devlin says:

    I love tobacco-based scents. This perfume sounds like it would smell great on guys, too. I’d love to win this because I would like to see how it smells on my boyfriend. He and I will sometimes share a fragrance and it always amazes me how different it wears on each of us.

    Love the quote “A wise man looks but only a fool stares”.

    I live in the U.S.

  • It seems that Nosey Artist’s prose perfectly fits into this review. “A wise man looks but only a fool stares” should be in an anthology of aphorisms. It is rarely to read on “blind buy” recommendation in perfume reviews. This perfume seems powerful, with great performances. I think that East India was a great name for the fragrance, too. I love whiskey and tobacco in perfumes, but at the same time, I know just a few perfumes that successfully fuse these notes. I already love Beaufort’s 1805 Tonnerre. I’m in the EU, Croatia. Thank you.

  • rodelinda says:

    I’ve never tried a Beaufort fragrance, but when I read the list of notes for Vi et Armis I think my heart skipped a beat. I take notice when I see something called “one of the best boozy/tobacco scents on the market today.” The other Beaufort sound interesting but this is the one that really calls to me. I’m in the US. Thanks!

  • Ekhm… Is “deer tongue” what I think it is? I hope no deer were harmed in the process of making the fragrance 😉 because I would love to explore this “dusty absinthe and patchouli territory”. Thank you for the draw and review 🙂 EU.

  • Ooops. Sorry for the previous comment, it was meant to be posted under Wolfsbane review 🙂 A little too much whisky I suppose.

    Now about Vi et Armis. I can imagine this perfume is as dark, mysterious and complicated as the history of British Empire: for some people it’s great, for others it’s mainly controversial. I like tobacco scents, but I am not sure if the mixture with tea, whisky and oud is not going to be too much. Well, let’s see.

    My favorite quote:
    “All you survey take in with care,
    A wise man looks but only a fool stares ”

    Thanks for the draw! I am in the EU.

  • -What I liked about the review of Vie et Armis:
    the quote from G.B. Shaw and in-depth descriptions

    -If there is a Beaufort London fragrance you want to try or wear please tell us that too:
    I would love to try this, of course, and even though 1805, Coeur de Noir & Lignum Vitae all sound uniquely compelling; East India sounds amazingly opulent in addition to divinely forbidden!

    -Favorite Nosey Artist line…?
    “When the pipe gets passed and it reaches your hand,
    Let the soul leave the body, but remember your land”

    US resident

    How very generous of BeauFort London and thanks, as always, to CaFleureBon

  • There are almost all of my favorite notes in Vi et Armis: tobacco, tea, opium, oud, and cardamom. Sounds like a perfect fragrance to wear all year round, but especially in the autumn. Coeur de Noir also seems to be interesting and I love the name. I would be very happy to win a bottle of Vi et Armis. I am in the EU and Thanks for the draw.

  • echinacea says:

    “To rush is to miss the way”

    I love the perfumes that develop slowly over time, when the notes “wait their turn”. I can imagine this is such a fragrance, rich and bold and somewhat heavy. In fact I would like to try all of the Beaufort perfumes, but Vi et Armis seems to be the closest one to my taste. I love albo black tea notes (Oh, the unforgettable Comme des Garcons Series 1: Tea!).

    Thank you for the draw. I live in the EU.

  • Miss Almond says:

    I love this phrase: “The deals that you make are the fruits that you yield…” I also love the notes of this perfume, tobacco and cardamom and opium must be great. the other perfume I would like to test is Lignum Vitae.
    Thank you for the review, I live in EU.

  • I tested briefly Lignum Vitae and I am not sure if I am going to buy and wear it, but I am sure it is very unusual and very long lasting, so I really look forward to test other fragrances from this line. The history behind each scent is fascinating and I like the simple, elegant bottles. I am in the EU.

  • “A wise man looks but only a fool stares”

    I loved the entire prose but that part was my favorite. Tobacco is one of the notes I enjoy the most, so this fragrance does appeal to me. I am looking forward to learning more about this house and all of their creations. I am in Canada and thanks so much for the draw.

  • This fragrance is really intriguing. Those are not necessarily my favorite notes, but I think they blend together really well.

    I have not heard of this house. But I’ll be sure to be on the lookout in the future.

    I’m a Canadian reader

  • I am very intrigued by this scent. It makes a great beard cologne. After reading the description here I really want to go soak cardamom beans in whiskey.