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Salome is unspeakably impressive. It’s hard to find the words to describe such a scent, but for this is something that can only be experienced to be understood; though even then you never might. It takes the idea of chypre to regions uncharted, and yet still retains subtle characteristics of bygone masterpieces we know and love. The scent itself is very dry, surprisingly so, a central theme of warming carnation and tobacco find themselves leaning into their spicy facets through an outrageous dose of cumin, giving the scent this almost sweaty filth. Hyrax, hay and oakmoss further this dry dirtiness, whilst the sweet, dense nature of castoreum and vanilla create what seems almost fruity in its flair when combined with the indolic charm of jasmine, orange blossom and rose. There’s so much going on in this scent, it’s impossible to find where it ends. You’ll spend hours scrambling your way through this dusty boudoir, only to find dirtier secrets within, the longer you look. If any scent defines what a modern masterpiece means, it is this one.
Add a heroic dose of hyrax to L'Heure Bleue EDP and you have this. Eveyone says it's similar to Theo Fennell Scent, but it's closer to L'Heure Bleue or Cuir Mauresque to my nose. Update: after an hour or so, I started to find it really relentless and lacking in subtlety. I was just left with this thick, heavy leather and nothing to balance it out, and ended up having a shower to get rid of it (somewhat unsuccessfully).
Okay so...it's official...Salome is my favourite perfume from this brand. I had to make sure, when Liz announced Bengale rouge I was about to purchase Salome but then thought I wait to see what it was all about. Which was fine but BR couldn't knock the crown off Salome. It opens with a cumin leather infused, smooth, mildly vegetal remiscent of raw, leathery, castoreum tempered by more rounded orris butter or somethin? This is reinforced later with dry Ionone smells later on. The main effect which points to classic oriental/chypre hybrid a la the late, great Mr Guy Robert is the contrast of clearly animalic undertones with powdery florals. On top a gentle but firm, carnation accord blooms, a little powdered but not really, the whole effect is quite masculine. It was on me at least and I said this of Salome if a man wore it I'd likely gesture to him in some blokey acknowledgement of his keen interest in very finely made, classic perfumery. If it was a woman I'd likely be begging at her stilettoed heel, like some submissive dog/manslave! The animalic nature giving Salome a mildly sexy charge. I'll say this though, it's full bodied and uncompromising and yet I find it a total pussycat and carefully applied it's so very pleasant and polite. The animalics in here are clearly handled with a very deft touch and Liz is in her element making these creations which nod at vintage perfumes, all in a genre of their own. Some Indy perfumers use animalics in a very hamfisted way, banging a load a civet replacer in and calling that an animalic accord when for me it lacks nuance and sinks like a stone to the bottom of the composition only to languish and likely still be detected on your skin days later. (to be fair you can smell Salome the next day) No doubt Salome probably uses Civet replacer but the overall musks seem to have been carefully woven and blended into the very fabric of what Salome is. It's muscanone, mallow warm, sweet musks and the more authentic, deer, pissy animalic shangrilide and animalis type too but perfectly balanced. I think it's completely mesmerising stuff. It's artistry isn't something to be broken down in the kinda tedious, armchair way I pluck and poke at possible materials used. Just wear it and revel in it. Superb.
