First of all before we get into what this perfume is about I am alienated by the price point. This degree of 'luxury' is beyond my means. This perfume retails for £500 for 50ml. While that is very expensive some might try to defend it's honor by saying that it's not the most expensive perfume in the world, some are thousands, yeah and I can't afford them either. My own personal financial limits aside, and this is a very, very good perfume and much what I'd been expecting from QB in recent times. He has this cosmic, spangle of complexity in the opening, bejewelled with fruits and 'incense' (about the most nebulous accord you could describe) woody, resinous, modern, and multi faceted. That happens but it's immediately different in that it's softer, deeper and less aggressive than some of his recent efforts for Pehaligon's, Essential parfums and Marc Antoine Barrois to name a few, this is smoother and more wearble, and those are some great perfumes let me tell you. So this doesn't smell similar to those but stylistically it's in the same wheelhouse for certain. Then all of a sudden it reveals a much more settled nature after a few hours, almost like it says, 'right enough twinkling top notes, I'm gonna show you my true colours now, a pastel, powdery iris leather and woody, like sandalwood type accord. It was mildly reminiscent of DK Fuel for men, a lovely little banger from the noughties. This Iris/leather talk makes it sound atypical, but it isn't, It's pretty masculine leaning somehow and makes this perfume completely charming and if anything should be worth top money for transitioning this way and taking you on a 'journey' (puke) it's this perfume. I've actually just started a fragrance podcast (Les Odorants) which will be available to download soon in all the usual places you get your podcasts from,(PLLLLLUGGGGG!!!!!) and this was a topic of discussion along with a load of other heftily priced, smelly stuffs. Quentin Bisch has a masterful command over materials and is a superb modern perfumer, and this is a prime example, same it's so damn expensive, but if you can afford it, comes highly recommended by me.
Rubeus Bleu is a scent I’ve been itching to try after hearing a good degree of hype online about it, and when something costs over £800 for 50ml you immediately expect greatness. That’s not to say it’s not great, because it does smell lovely, but the price has got to be a publicity stunt surely; there are countless fragrances which are absurdly priced, but this takes the cake. It’s a perfectly enjoyable powdery leather scent, a dusty Iris note leads the way which is at once soft and creamy, yet reminiscent of old face powder. The leather is soft and gentle, bolstered by a bitter, rindy array of citrus fruits, giving the scent a masculine fresh facet. It smells like a distinguished Italian man, nothing more, nothing less; it smells classy and sophisticated, but not nearly as expensive as it actually is. I simply cannot wrap my head around how this costs more than £16/ml - it’s absolute insanity. To think you could get yourself a 75ml of Henry Jacques for less money, owning this fragrance has the same social effect as a gaudy Gucci t-shirt. Smells very nice though.