This Luggage Company Makes Cologne (And It’s Not Louis Vuitton)
If you thought Tumi was only an expensive luggage maker found in the mall, you’d be wrong. Aside from travel accessories, they also make cologne. This would make sense if you think about the whole journey - when you arrive at your destination and can’t go straight to your AirBnB, you probably want to smell nice. We were curious to see how a they would handle scent - based on the fact that it’s made by a luggage maker alone (and it’s not Louis Vuitton, a behemoth that spans fashion and lifestyle), we were concerned it might feel like a cheap merch item, something you’d get complementary with purchase.
We tried both of Tumi’s scents, Awaken and Unwind and put them to the test. On day one, we tried Awaken. Whether you’re waking up with a neck pillow and the trolley coming down the aisle with breakfast or you’re in your hotel bed, Awaken is mean to be “an energizing fragrance that is refreshing, revitalizing and stimulating. Top notes of bergamot, grapefruit and coriander are balanced by mid and base notes of clary sage, fir needle, cypress, frankincense, patchouli and cedarwood.” This is a stretch.
We smelled only Cotton Candy Jelly Beans. Maybe that cloyingly sweet smell was supposed to be grapefruit, but this is not it. For $100, it smelled like a cheap knockoff from Walgreens. Hard, hard pass. Unwind was up to bat on day two. This is, we imagine, meant to be worn after you freshen up and settle in for the evening, whether that’s when the cabin dims the lights or you’re out for dinner at your destination: “Unwind is a warm and sensually casual fragrance that helps recalibrate and reset the mind. Top notes of lemon and ginger are balanced by mid and base notes of lavender, geranium, sage, vetiver, oud and sandalwood.” We can definitely say that it did not smell this layered and complex and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it smelled strongly of cedar, more so than Tiziana Terenzi’s Orion (see our review here). This lasted for quite some time and was quite fragrant, making us smell like we rubbed a cedar block on our skin. Both Orion and Unwind are fantastic for that pure woody scent, but if you want something strong, Unwind is the way to go. It’s a buy for us. Ultimately we
don’t think there was anything novel or interesting about Awaken. It’s so generic in note that you’d expect everyone from the flight attendant to the waiter at the airport restaurant to be wearing it. For $100/bottle, you could get a cheaper cologne that does ‘fresh’ better (we recommend Lacoste Eau Fraiche) and still have money leftover for snacks and a magazine. Go with Unwind, skip on Awaken.
Tumi, Awaken $100.00
Tumi, Unwind $100.00
Pass on Awaken
Buy Unwind