The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Upper Ten takes its name from the Victorian phrase for society's elite. But Lubin's 2015 interpretation isn't about privilege as much as attitude. The fragrance is built around a specific image: a gentlemen's club in 1880, all dark leather and rich wood-paneled atmosphere, the quiet authority of the space. Thomas Fontaine designed it for someone who walks into a room and doesn't need to announce themselves. It's part of the Les Talismania collection, where Lubin distills its 200-year heritage into concentrated, character-driven compositions. The name says upper class. The scent says you've earned it.
The note structure is where Upper Ten earns its reputation. Pink pepper and saffron open sharp and aromatic, a quick jolt that signals intent. Cool juniper berries and bright Italian bergamot keep the top from being heavy, adding a briskness that feels like a door opening into a wood-paneled space. The heart is where warmth builds: cardamom and cinnamon provide spice, geranium and orange blossom add aromatic complexity, and a touch of peach keeps the composition from becoming austere. But the drydown is where this fragrance lives. Leather takes over, supported by sandalwood, cedar, amber, musk, and patchouli.
The evolution
The opening announces itself immediately. Pink pepper and saffron arrive crisp and clean, sparking against cool juniper berries and bright Italian bergamot. That first impression reads sharp, a quick signal that this fragrance means business. Within twenty minutes, the heart begins to reveal itself. Cardamom and cinnamon build warmth, geranium and orange blossom add aromatic depth, and a subtle peach note softens what could have been an austere middle. The transition is seamless, spice doesn't give way to sweetness so much as it absorbs it. By the second hour, the leather emerges. Sandalwood, cedar, amber, musk, and patchouli layer into a drydown that stays close to the skin but refuses to disappear. On fabric, this phase can outlast everything else, the warm, resinous base clings to a collar or cuff well into the next day.
Cultural impact
Upper Ten has built a quiet following among those who appreciate its bold character. It's the kind of fragrance people stumble upon and then tell others about, the opposite of a crowd-pleaser, and that seems to be exactly the point. Since its 2015 launch, it continues to attract wearers looking for something with real presence and depth.
