Another huge success for this line in the sense that it's Wasser delivering an exquisite fragrance, truly. However, I'm not going to give it a glowing appraisal for a couple of reasons. The main one being that I was expecting patchouli ardent to show us some exciting and dominant take on patchouli, perhaps a little naive of me to think that Guerlain would all of a sudden stray from keeping things friendly and aesthetically, just so. I kinda did though. So I'd say I actually like this one better than one I own from this line, the oud, which to me is fairly uneventful (never bland), but plugs into the whole comforting aspect of why I like a nice, minimal musk fragrance for example, it's unobtrusive and I'm unlikely to get fatigued by it. Patchouli ardent does definitely have an earthy patchouli lean to it in the start of the fragrance but it seems like it's such an amalgam of some of the others in this line, a thread running from the musc and amber right through encens and bois. So really patchouli ardent is a musky, rose fragrance with a kind of heady, airy, incense trail, darkened by a shade of patchouli, mainly manifesting when you first spray it. Like I said it's glorious, lovely, lasts forever & all that stuff but there's just no pleasing some people (me sometimes) and I'd hoped for more patchouli, and something I could gush over and need in my collection. I wanted a hyped up, muscular, Givenchy Gentlemen or Zino Davidoff re-imagined and elevated to the level of this collection not just from a quality standpoint (because frankly it hits that high water mark) but from a creativity point of view too. If you call it patchouli I want to bludgeoned with patchouli in some sense, and this didn't do it. Is it good? Yes it might even be great! Would I buy it? probably not. I will investigate this further because I shouldn't keep writing reviews based on spraying it on my wrist once, and I will concede that you can only get to know a fragrance properly through wearing (multiple times if possible) but also sometimes you have to respect that when someone has tried a lot of perfumes their intuition is pretty good and they can extrapolate out the full experience (not always accurately) but most of the time a fragrances destiny is sealed from that first few hours of trying on skin.
I think this is quite possibly one of the most important fragrances I've tried in a while. Something about wet, realistic florals of the Narcissus, lilac and hyacinth variety which stir me and the combination with strong also quite natural smells of the animalic, indolic or in this case naturally sweet, honey. It's quite a sickly piece of work, I mean the honey is so well realised it starts to go to caramelised, wheaty, grainy, bran like, heaviness and a feeling of beeswax too. Against this you have this wafting, dark floral undercurrent sweeping through the fragrance like the pungency of linden blossom (which I can't say I've ever smelled although it does grow in the UK so perhaps I have?) and apparently it is carried on the breeze for long distances. I get some spice a sort of traditional, sweet, creamy musk and vanilla body, even a mild clove, this is like musc ravageur meets kilian back to black in florists. Yet still there's something edger than those comparisons. My experience of Baruti was the oud fragrance, with no oud in it. A curious hit of oud characteristics, painfully sharp and bitingly resinous, I actually made an oud frgarance myself by combining and balancing all the oud bases I had and stuff which I associate with oud or fake oud. The results were quite similar, a searing stew that I suspect would be popular if released as it has the same beastmode, bro-down qualities of an TF Oud wood or an oud for greatness or Montale So I think Onder de linde is bewildering. Experienced sniffer that I am, I didn't realise what this was and afterwards I sort of staggered out of my first sniffing as if I'd agreed to fight an ageing Mike Tyson, only to discover I didn't want that Iron Mike smoke. So all this complementary stuff I'm saying is about a fragrance I don't think I could ever fancy wearing, but I respect the hell out of the person who does.
Okay so in the opening I actually get quite a lot of sweet, cassis and citrus with a nice, green sort of accord, very fresh and uplifting, I thought it was very striking. Then it dries out in a massive way, with a huge dose of spices but still showing restraint and the Declaration comparisons here start to make a lot of sense, and while the spicing is similar, I'd say a mixture of corriander, caraway/cumin and cardamom, declaration is much pricklier, sweatier and frankly bolder than this fragrance. The drydown of Rance goes to papery iso e super and ionone rather than declaration which seems to hold it's original vibes, much more completely. A little slug of coumarin or something in here gives this a fougere feel for a moment. I liked it initially but it fell a bit flat and not to moan, but it's not very strong or long lasting and ultimately a bit forgettable.
Right so I love Ruth's work and none of it so far lacks depth and layers, Dagian included. However, I don't like it. The opening is fresh, woody but it smells quite a lot like. I get notes of lime, grapefruit and petitgrain/orange blossom but punctuated heavily with green notes and then aquatics. The base is that slimy, melon, spunk, of salty diffuse woods and Calone or such like, marine/aquatic molecule or base. I'm not completely against these sorts of materials and if anyone could get the best out of it, I'd say it would be Ruth but it's a taste thing, some people are really taken with these aromas, I find them nauseating. The fact that the opening of salty, floral citrus greenery is pleasant is enough of a success but an hour or so in and all I can smell is Aquatic AC's. A rare miss in what is an exemplary collection of fragrances.
So Neandertal have two new Perfumes Us & Them, a sample of which they very kindly sent to me prior to the release (Thanks Brooke and Kentaro) however I still hadn't tried anything at all from the brand at that point, and I didn't really know what to expect. If I'm honest I'd been a little put off by the usual suspects and the seeming saturation of Youtube reviews when something new arrives on the scene. No matter, These are truly artistic from composition to brand concept and marketing, I don't want to be suckered in but I am, Neandertal is just cool. None moreso than 'them'. It's perfect. I couldn't ask for more. A beautiful, resplendent, mildly sweet, smooth, fleshy, leather perfume. I've recently taken up leather craft and this reminds me the most of veg tan, natural tooling leather, thick, glorious smelling and a blank canvas of possibility. This is like the best musk perfumes, minimal but little jewels poking out from a silky, mist of loveliness. In this case it's a sort of Iris/orris feel I suppose but unlike any other you've smelled before. The closest for me is Aedes de venustas Iris Nazarena, but in truth they are as different as they are similar. Them has fresh, vibrant top notes, which keep putting in an appearance after you'd think they'd be long gone. Then a sweetness, that orris theme punctuated by complementary carrot seed which I'm not surprised to see in the notes, such a fine use in here. Then you have a mild sea spray, but not salty or aquatic just a breathy, animal suggestion of ambergris. It reminds me of a trendy Scandinavian furniture store where everything is posh, arty, minimal, low slung cubist, buttery leather sofas and the air smells of wood and leather. Guys this is a leather perfume, we can break down the individual aspects and call it orris and carrot and citrus and whatever but its a fiercely modern minimal pebble of a contruction that conveys leather much more realistically and effectively that a hit of IBQ, saffraliene, birch tar or castoreum. This is clever, clever, clever, by a brilliant perfumer that my pal from Edinburgh told me about ages ago....I should've paid more attention to her. So Euan McCall is something of a revelation to me at this point,his other efforts for the brand are great too but THEM just transcends perfume into a special territory of had to have, adoration for me. Beautiful perfume and comes in a frosted, icicle of a flacon, pure art!
So first of all this is not my first Swedoft but I'm posting reviews out of synch, sadly of the two I tried this just so happens to be the one I didn't like. Okay so I bought these on name alone and haven't consulted with the notes, and smelling the sprayer before application, just the remnants, emanating from it smell of cacao to me. I'm expecting a rich, dark amber woody vanilla perhaps? Then upon application the opening has dense, fruity, date and cherry tobacco notes, and somewhat chocolatey but nowhere near to the extent I'd thought from the pre-cum/nozzle sniff. I don't really like it, and as it develops becomes more like TF tobacco vanille, a fragrance I own but truly can't abide anymore. There's something rough about it's honied themes which turns almost sharp, pickled and with a kind of vinegary effect. It's tough. So I'm not a fan, and just judging by these two, Swedoft are throwing a lot at a composition.
Let's get something straight about RBalkris' review below. I strongly disagree that there's other rose perfumes on the market even at a fraction of the price. Respectfully my friend, that is bollocks! Sure you could get yourself a Montale or a Mancera or some Arabic brand for cheap but it wouldn't even come close to this. Now call me a Les Indemodables fanboy but I don't care, this is an earth shatteringly good, rose perfume!!! As much as I love musc des sables, Rose de Jamal is my favourite from the line. Simple. It's monumentally subtle and nuanced, seemingly quite cool and minimal too, not a full bodied rose plonk, or searing jammy sweet thing. The most peculiar thing about it is that I tried it before and didn't quite have this response. I don't know if my nose was fatigued or what but I enjoyed it, thought it was a very decent rose but didn't understand it properly, until sampling again a few months later. Not meaning to be reductive but if you like Lyric Man by Amouage I believe this will blow your mind. It will. The magnetic cap Lyric Man I have is not quite as good as the old original formula I remember but I think this is the ultimate example of that sort of vibe and despite the comparison, this is a highly original and cliche free rose perfume. It floats on the air with an effortless smoke trail to it, reminiscent of lightly spiced incense but at it's heart it's sweet, gorgeous rose, rounded and complex like a true otto, the body of this perfume is musky and milky pale, but also green, lush, fresh and energising. My favourite part is the discrete powdery feel throughout, giving nods to classic talcum powderish perfumes like a Caleche or Derby (perhaps bad examples but they came to mind) The best thing is that the Moroccan rose absolute is dosed at a perfect level to bring it's character to the table and Antoine Lie has expertly crafted a rose accord & perfume around it. I absolutely adore the stuff and a bottle is on the cards for me for Christmas.
Antoine Lie is renowned for a certain style to my nose at least, and I'd describe it as, creamy weirdness. However, this isn't creamy or weird it's yet more exemplary perfume from now undoubtedly, one of the best niche houses around at the moment, everything is a joy and Iris Perle is no exception. This is much more of the iris than it is orris, in that it captures the floral aspects primarily but has that fleshy, cosmetic orris, but arriving slightly later on. The opening reminded me of hyacinth or wet floral smell and greeness you get from jonquilles absolu or Narcissus but with that twist of mild violets, giving the iris flower illusion. It is simply stunning. Really good balance between powdery orris and bright floral, zing! Opens out to a subtly beautiful, lightly leathered orris. I love it.
So glad I didn’t get a full bottle of this. Sex in a bottle? What have folk been smoking? This smells like any ordinary high street fragrance. It’s exactly the same as any Hugo Boss or Diesel fragrance and it lasts about ten minutes.
This doesn't resonate with me, the name I mean. Black tie. Office? Sure, spent a fair amount of time in offices. Date? I've been on a few dates in my time. I don't think I've ever been to a black tie engagement? No...in fact, I haven't. Then again I am a scruffy bastard and not like Jezza, rubbing shoulders with the elite and beautiful people, I'm just a pleb at a keyboard, slagging off his latest creation because it doesn't 'relate' to me... boo hoo. Well too bad!!! Why would you aspirational, Fragrance army types, want to be a loser like me anyway huh? You wouldn't. You want the Tom Ford suit, the massive watch, the Ferrari, the abs and to so knee deep in dropped panties you can barely move an inch! That's the life. That's what you want. That's BLACK TIE.
I'm glad there's a down vote thingy on the smells like, I mean it's not new but it used to cancel the up votes rather than just tally both. anyway! It's nothing remotely like Enigma, I'm surprised anyone could think that. So when I heard that Rasquinet had been tasked with making a perfume for Amouage I pretty much thought it was a match made in heaven, thinking back to Moon, that gold one he did for HdP, Black Powder, and a couple of others, I reckon I get his style now. It's big, bold, bombastic, complex perfumery and fits with the Middle Eastern feel of Amouage. He's also a perfumer who isn't afraid of creating ballsy effects using vast swathes of synthetic materials. This one is relentless, especially at first and I tell you that after only minutes of development but I think the way it calms down significantly is testament to the perfumers balance. I actually shouldn't review a perfume so prematurely but this has a roguish, creamy spiced, piquant,spiked pink pepper which I completely adore. Enclave will likely be criticised for the driving force of woody amber which is brutally volatile at first gassing off all over the place. Natural & real connoisseur/Snobs probably won't dig it but the correct use of AmberXtreme or similar is very hard to get right and Rasquinet seems to manage it every time. The snob in me finds it a touch invasive (and snobs likely won't get Enclave) like somme other Rasquinet fragrances mentioned, but just as it begins to grate a little, it seems to retreat and just at the perfect time too. This is hefty, boozy, spiced, amber with incense leanings and to be honest the fragrance it reminded me the most of was another Amouage, that I haven't even smelled in years, (but this perhaps tells you how much of an impression it left?) it's Journey Man. I personally like it. I know how difficult amberXtreme is to use, it's brutally strong and used to bolster ambers and such in tiny amounts, I think there's a tendency to blame the presence of these molecules when it's a cumulative effect and after all the perfumer decided to use it as it brought something to the composition, I don't believe they just think, let's make this BEASTMODE!!! (Perhaps the brands request that though??? I don't know.) Overall I personally like it but I completely get why others would not. I think it represents the brand well, it's more in line with the complex, severity of an Interlude Man or something.
So to start out... Meander is a perfect name for this perfume, the vibe is a meandering one. I've followed perfumer Mackenzie Reilly on social media for a few years now (I think?) and it's good to finally see/smell her work coming through and certainly for such a high profile brand as Amouage, to be honest she's really made two fantastic perfumes for the Renaissance collection, Meander being my favourite. I saw a couple of reviews but they were from the usual brand sycophants who may have been sent free product so their positive view is met with scepticism. I shouldn't have been so cynical though, but it didn't sound like my bag, or like quintessential Amouage. I blame the reviewers. I think Meander falls more inline with Imitation or Portrayal than it does with Interlude or Epic (all the Man ones of these BTW) which is that it's a floral scent at heart, but surrounding by a swirling, changeling sort of vibe. The opening to me smells very airy, slight and mineral, misty olibanum, and that watery papyrus note you get, by immediate thoughts were... BE GONE THE SPECTRE OF SANTAL 33! YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE! Glad to tell you that effect only lasts for a few seconds before everything starts to build, but in a super gentile, civilized manner, Meander is the whimsical antidote to Enclave's full on woody, amber and Amouage Incense thickness. This only lightly nods in the direction with a lemon and pine tinged olibanum, but it's so veiled, vignette in the fabric of this scent, it's barely there at all. A transient, plastic, saffron twang at about the 5-10 minute mark is then gone just as quick. Orris or carrot are listed here in the notes and I'm not sure I get them from this a vague first impression but there's definitely a powdery, sweet element to this perfume. Then the knotty, earthy but fresh tentrils of a rooty vetiver perhaps? start to ground this fragrance. As it progresses it gets nicer and, nicer, a mixture of cool and aloof and warm and cuddly. I guess all this contrarian talk means that Meander performs a successful balancing act which is really what perfumery is all about, balanced harmonics. I hastily wrote this review without properly wearing this perfume at least once. I judged it on a single spray on my wrist but I think I can make something of an evaluation based on that and say that this is very good. To the point I'm tempted to get it. The colour of the bottle is Celadon or Baby Yoda green which is really lovely too.
This is an exemplary fragrance and restores faith in creative perfumery. I'm not overstating that, I think this is one of the most unique prospects of the renaissance collection which to be fair are all very interesting and faceted in their own way. So just to make it clear I wrote a separate review to this on Instagram before I'd read any notes but naturally I've been informed by the Fragrantica ones that there's So this has a spicy opening but it's somehow blunted (in a good way) and I'm someone who loves pink pepper in top notes, I go mad for it and it's certainly complimentary with rose. However, I can't say it's instant piquant nature comes across to me, this almost feels a little like licquorice but not licorice, It's very difficult to describe the opening of this fragrance, I struggle and I like that. This is a dry, volcanic, ashy, but not parched feel, it's kinda like an aerated volcanic rock, of a thing but becoming much sweeter with rose. I received compliments ranging from 'that's sweet I like that!' to 'you smell a bit like cola cubes' both of which I'll take. I think the rose starts to have a purplish hue as the day wears on and a definitive smack of damascones!!! Its a rounded rose accord complete with the velvety, lightly decayed feel of Bulgarian absolute. It's not a jammy or boring cliched rose, this has a subtle character. Musks chime in beautifully after several hours, giving a really warm, cosy, gorgeousness to this fragrance. That ambretteolde/Romandolide/musk ketone humming warmth. That's two modern roses in the space of a year or so that I think have completely flipped the script on modern roses, just when you think you'd seen all the perfumers trickery. Lovely stuff from Amouage and Bertier! Bravo!!!
So I get an opening of bergamot and green shoots which morphs into orange, first bitter (pith) then sweet orange which lasts into a very mild EDC type neroli orange blossom note, just peaking through what is a very mossy, pretty relentless chypre moss. It has a bit of an indy sensibility but the truth of the matter is that indy perfumes can't make a citrus as bright and enlongated as this. It's kinda a very fresh, eau de cologne, chypre hybrid. Very, very good. Solid and just what I expect from this brand. The sample was gifted by Les Indemodables but this has no bearing on my review whatsoever. I'd say it's a touch expensive but they all are really, and the naturals present are in quite small quantities, (although a few are overdosed) the perfumers get the most out of them.
I don't think I ever reviewed this before because I figured it was a pretty standard vetiver, and it is, but a very pleasant one. Refreshing that it has vetiver in the name and actually smells of vetiver, but it's a mild, non smoky, Haitian vetiver, with that sharp, citrus, nootkatone element enhanced rather than the dry, smoky, rooty, tendrills of a darker vetiver. It's no less authentic though and feels creamy in that sense that vetiver can be, and that saltiness is there, certainly in the top notes. It's lovely actually. If I consider getting another vetiver fragrances at some point, this might be on the shortlist.
I received a sample of Ambre Royal by Ormonde Jayne and fell in love with the scent. Finding out there is an extrait version available, I simply had to have a full bottle. For me, this is the definition of what perfume should be. RE smells so glamorous and luxurious. The notes combine into an almost leathery vibe, reminiscent of an expensive couture designer handbag. It’s masterfully blended yet searching deeper I get the jasmine and orchid that lend a bitterness, and this is given texture by a powdery orris note. Lots of naturals here, it oozes quality. Performance is strong. Two squirts and I’m bubbled in an arm-length cloud of beauty which lasts for hours. It’s an addictive, sexy and intoxicating scent. It smells monied and leans slightly feminine to my nose, although my girlfriend wore it and found it too masculine for her taste. Follow me on Instagram: @TheScentiest I would wear this in the evening on dinner dates or dressed up for an event. But it would certainly work just as well for the office.
As previous reviews will display I love Les Indemodables and their small but steady output is a perfect little collection of fragrances, restoring my faith in the industry and new, niche or boutique brands, not just existing for the sake of it. This opens with a sweet, fruity, floral accord laden with a beautiful osmanthus and resplendent peach fuzz and blackcurrant, lactonic, vanilla curds and a slightly funky, musk of the mildly pissy variety. Very, very restrained and low in the mix though and it does go. This is required as per the naturally occurring funk indole/skatole etc... and the juxtaposition of adding civet to florals in the classical sense. For me all this creates a pedestal to elevate the beautiful, natural floral materials even higher. I like the opening and what's been done here in a perfumery sense but I'm not really my cup of tea, taste wise, I think my mood today is a big factor in that though, because there's elements I love about this. I think it could be a grower, I might end up, updating this and saying I adore it and must have a bottle, it's one of those perfumes.
Caron have managed to make an iconic formula here but one which is mildly derivative of lots of common tropes and aroma chemicals etc... but combined in such a way as to make something that feels new to me. That's all I can ask of a perfume, we all know the common building blocks and 'tricks' or commonality of technique used by perfumers and I don't expect a completely original, ground breaking work of genius everytime I sniff out a new perfume, but just try and that effort will be reflected in the end result and that's what we have here. So vetiver being the prominent listed note is misleading for me, because it's not the smoky, earthy, dry notes I get from it. (wait for the contradiction in 5,4,3...) Despite having a creamy, woody, earthy, slightly nutty drydown (all descriptors I would also use for a complex vetiver oil) I DON'T think that Aimez moi comme je suis is in anyway a typical vetiver, nor do I smell vetiver in it really. Apparently the formula contains 10% vetiver oil which despite being quite potent can blend down into a composition or be easily subdued depending what else you put in. I think the way it manifests in this perfume is intriguing, the earthy notes are even slightly more reminiscent of patchouli than vetiver. So the way this opens is very...(I hate this word but it's appropriate) generic. What I mean is that I get that herbal, faux bergamot (bergamal, DHM), lavender, clary sage it's classically soapy but then there's this smoky element. Hold on Houdini!!! Woah woah woah, YOU SAID and I quote... "...This is not the smoky, earthy dry notes..." so what do you mean??? Well if you'd let me finish...(god I need to see a shrink! :) I was about to say that this has the lingering smokey after touch of cigarette smoke on clothing, not always a nice thing but in this context it puts the normality (if very well constructed) main body, of clean, men's shower gels and soap and such, into a whole new context. So you smell the opening and go...Caron? what's happening here this is a bit... Lynx/Axe deodorant like...then as it settles it starts to chime with lots of other notes and before you know it this thing is charming you. The name is also imploring you to love it, perhaps they know that this is the mental process people go through with it? Underwhelmed, mildly charmed, to fallen for...A true grower not a shower. The drydown really is beautiful, it has a certain modernity too with that kind of creamy, ambrox/woods and that nutty, depth. I think it's really, really accomplished, and harder than you think to create something more than the sum of it's parts & which doesn't smell old hat. I'd compare it to GIT or Cool water but also Terre d'Hermes or Fierce or CKOne, just in terms of it's place in the pantheon of great men's perfume formulas comprised primarily of very commonly used materials but brought together harmoniously.
Not BR540 - This is Mancera Instant Crush and it is just as strong!
Les Indemodables can do no wrong in my eyes. They are spectacularly good fragrances, creative, transparent on the amount of naturals used and fascinating from a technical point of view on just how the perfumers bring them out. The compositions are original, they don't release too much or spunk free bottles away on tiresome, social media, gurus and reviewers etc... I love them. The seem French, arrogantly puffing on a Galosises and not giving a merd what you think! They are here to be artisits and create beauty. All that good stuff. But I don't really like this one as such. haha However it's still BRILLIANT!!! The opening is orange blossom, a spectacular orange blossom accord full of petitgrain, mutating into a more creamy/waxy floral but light on it's feet an with the 'fougere' bit threatening to rumble just beneath the surface. If this was just a nice Orange blossom, I'd be like okay, it's a safe pass fragrance but never with this brand, they don't allow mediocre to slip through, even their tropes are fresh and new, Musk, I mean how exciting can a musk be? Musc des sables? Just try it! Anyway then develops a smell of minty, resinousness, I described as white camphor/elemi/frankinsense/cypress/eucalyptus/atlas cedar...Those vibes. Mix this with the white floral effect and petetgrain and there you have something highly original and then there's warmth of fougere vibes setting it perfectly as this herbal, floral melting pot! So looking at the notes here I can see that clary sage also has these properties of sharp and mild camphor as does some lavender sometimes. Even Tuberose has a minty quality and the heft of the midrif combined with petitgrain (Which I feel is definitely here as well as orange or tangerine) will promote an orange blossom smell, I reported in the opening. This is a strange fragrance and not a typical fougere but still fits the character of one in some strange sense. I need more time with it because I really started to fall for it as it dried down.
So I'm not sure what I thought I'd tried before but this being released in 2016 seems like some Mandela effect shit! (google it!) I could've sworn this existed well previous, but anyway, I like it, smells like a modded version of L'air du desert Marocain. I couldn't tell you how it's different? But it is if you are super familiar with previous work you can feel the micro adjusted accords, maybe this is a slightly cleaner leather and creamier sandalwood even? Either... The people love it, give them more of it. fine. Stale & creatively bereft and churning our the same old shit/playing about with formula variations on the customers time? Maybe? How I feel is that L'air and Tauer's style is so unique I feel can dine out on that, pretty much for the rest of his career as far as I'm concerned. It's unfair to say that because he is innovating and trying stuff outside of this, his obvious, both commercial and artistic comfort zone. I have L'air du desert Marocain and as such this is obsolete to me personally as I prefer that to this. Objectively, this is monumentally superb, strong and all the other great things about these fragrances. Bit of an odd review but hopefully a truthful and helpful one.
I used to own this. I quaffed a bottle years ago and never replaced it until recently when I acquired an 80's/90's mini. Wearing it today and I'm blown away, the top notes are still bright nothing short of superb. I can picture the segments of lemon, bergamot and grapefruit. This is mainly a citrus, oakmoss chypre in that classic mold with a kind of smooth, white floral heart, descending into a clean, dry vetiver note like the Nootkatone of grapefruit, more of a mild, Thai vetiver oil as apposed to a full bodied Haiti or Java, and one which doesn't have the typical smokiness or earth of vetiver, until the darker tones of the drydown that is and even then it's not really vetiver, more murky, vintage tones. I think it's amazing! A great fragrance. So it feels funny reviewing something I'm so familiar with and kinda took for granted in a way a fresh, functional, masculine fragrance. I think the journey opens your eyes, you come back around again to appreciating the little things, like Guerlain Vetiver.
So I was completely bamboozled by this fragrance today, to the point I had to wear something else so as not to experience sensory overload. I’m not in any mood at the moment to be over stimulated, challenged, or conscious of what I’m wearing, taking it apart and ultimately being put off from pursuing it further, in spite of what is a fantastic concept, well executed. I don’t know where to start with this? When I’d wear it? Or even if I would wear it? I’m assuming the brief (by the name) is to create something which is not trying to recreate the natural, but actively be anti-nature. It’s certainly that. It’s quite alien, existing one it’s own bizarre space, not typical in any sense really. There’s lots of obvious metallic, green and blue/green, azure notes opening up to what is a juniper, melon, cucumber type of smell, honestly that sounds hideous to many but please give this a chance. Very modern and out there in terms of artisan ‘kook’, but somehow remaining quite stern and serious and with real merit as far as I’m concerned. Personally, I think it’s very floral (certainly opening wise) in a exciting way, it kinda dances between snorting iron filings & licking a battery, while some exotic bouquet of flowers passing by on a oceanic breeze. The weirdest thing of all is the development of a chocolatey, cacao, amber, benzoin which even as I describe it seems completely at odds with the heart of this fragrance, but like so many of these additions, if it wasn’t there, I’d likely be far less enamoured with Against nature. It’s fucking brilliant! Just like yesterday I couldn’t face actually wearing this as my #sotd but on a day when I want something different I’ll sack it on for a proper wear. Holy moly is this tenacious! It remains on skin a LONG time.
First impression was that it was too strong and heady for my liking. But as it calms down it turns into this creamy santal with vanilla which is calming and absolutely gorgeous. I would wear this while out walking on a cold winters day and it would feel perfect. Follow me on Instagram: @TheScentiest
