Diesel Only The Brave Tattoo Eau de Toilette 125ml

Diesel Only The Brave Tattoo is a 2012 woody spicy oriental flanker to the original Only The Brave EDT (2009), created by Olivier Pescheux at Givaudan. Pescheux is a significant Givaudan perfumer whose credits include co-creating Paco Rabanne 1 Million alongside Christophe Raynaud and Bruno Fazzolari. The Tattoo flanker takes the original Only The Brave in a darker, more tobacco-oriental direction — the original EDT is a fresher, lighter woody fragrance; the Tattoo version layers a tobacco water pipe accord and benzoin over the base, making it richer, warmer and more resinous. The 125ml format is the larger size in the range. The bottle retains the iconic Only The Brave iron fist design — first introduced in 2009 and one of the most recognisable bottles in mainstream masculine perfumery — with a tattoo-style decorative treatment specific to this flanker.

The Scent

Only The Brave Tattoo opens with a Granny Smith apple accord — specifically the tart, green variety of apple rather than a sweet red apple accord; this gives the opening a crisp, slightly acidic freshness that contrasts with the warm, heavy base to come. The heart is sage and black pepper: sage here is common sage (Salvia officinalis) rather than clary sage — more pungent, herbal and slightly medicinal than clary sage’s wine-like quality; black pepper adds warm spice and diffusiveness. The base is the most distinctive and complex section: amber wood provides a smooth, warm woody-amber foundation; tobacco water pipe accord is hookah or narghile tobacco rather than cigarette tobacco — sweetened, moist and lightly smoky rather than dry and bitter, with an exotic, slightly sweet-resinous quality; patchouli adds the earthy, dark depth that anchors the oriental character; benzoin — a balsamic resin from Styrax benzoin — adds a sweet, vanilla-adjacent warmth with a slightly smoky-balsamic complexity that differs from plain vanilla. The combined base is rich, warm and long-lasting.

Only The Brave — Original vs Tattoo

The original Only The Brave EDT (2009) is a fresher, cleaner woody masculine — citrus and cedar-led, lighter and more versatile. The Tattoo flanker (2012) is significantly richer and more oriental in character — the tobacco water pipe accord and benzoin base make it a warmer, heavier fragrance better suited to cooler weather and evening wear. Buyers who find the original EDT too light or too fresh for their preference will find the Tattoo version a more substantial and darker alternative within the same Diesel bottle architecture.

Questions Customers Ask

What is a tobacco water pipe accord?
A tobacco water pipe accord — also known as narghile or hookah tobacco — is a perfumery material that captures the character of shisha or hookah tobacco rather than cigarette tobacco. Where cigarette tobacco in perfumery tends to read dry, bitter and slightly acrid, water pipe tobacco is sweetened, moist and lightly smoky, with a more exotic, softly resinous quality. In the base of Only The Brave Tattoo it contributes a warm, slightly sweet smoke note that is significantly more approachable than a dry tobacco accord.

What is benzoin?
Benzoin is a balsamic resin obtained from the bark of Styrax benzoin trees, primarily grown in Sumatra and Thailand. In perfumery it has a warm, sweet, slightly vanilla-like quality — smoother and more balsamic than vanilla itself, with a gentle smokiness. It is one of the classic base materials in oriental fragrances and is used in Only The Brave Tattoo to add sweetness and depth to the tobacco and patchouli base without the sometimes-artificial quality of synthetic vanilla.

Is the Tattoo version heavier than the original Only The Brave?
Yes — considerably. The original EDT is a lighter, fresher woody fragrance; the Tattoo flanker is a richer, warmer oriental-woody with tobacco, benzoin and patchouli in the base. The Tattoo version is better suited to cooler weather, evenings and those who prefer heavier, more resinous fragrances. If you find most woody masculines too light or short-lived, the Tattoo’s oriental base gives it significantly more presence and longevity.

What is the delivery policy?
We offer free standard UK delivery on all orders over £50.

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