Narcissus is an interesting note, one that can often be quite polarising for many people. Narcisse Taiji manages to capture the pure white sensuality of this flower, akin to jasmine, whilst also balancing it very nicely with an array of other complimentary notes. Most notably, I get a lot of juicy pear in the opening alongside the heady sweetness of tuberose. This sweetness is balanced very well with the dry earthiness of hay before settling into a base of patchouli. The scent itself isn’t massively complex but has two polarising personalities combined into one, created very smoothly. I would be surprised if real Narcissus absolute was used in here due to the obscene cost of the material, I imagine it’s a synthetic accord but still smells really nice. It feels more soapy and clean compared to real Narcissus, but that’s just my initial thoughts. Overall it’s a pleasant scent but not a love for me.

Iris Ebène is a strange take on an Iris accord, and yet still manages to smell pretty boring and lifeless unfortunately. It’s got a strong spicy element from the combination of warm allspice with aromatic pink pepper and a balsamic base. This spicy element is freshened up by the juicy bitterness of blood orange and petitgrain before the Iris itself makes itself known. This Iris is thick and leathery, dense and powdery whilst maintaining a delicate nature about it. All of this rests on a smooth base of sandalwood and leathery musks further elevating that suede accord. Overall it’s a pleasant scent. The quality is pretty good and it’s a nice fragrance to wear, but for the retail price you’re not getting much value for the simple reason that it’s a boring smell. I find it hard to imagine this is going to be a true love for anyone out there.

Rose Ardoise is a different take on rose. It’s bright, clean and refreshingly floral, but has an underlying spicy muskiness to it which is both strange but undeniably captivating at the same time. The scent is actually dominated by pink pepper which has strong rosy elements alongside its fresh spicy floral nature. The rose itself then sits behind the pink pepper, nurturing its sweet jammy nectar through the base. Combine this with a contrasting element of warm nutmeg and aromatic sage, and you’re greeted by the duality of warm spicy and fresh spicy. Overall this is a very enjoyable scent to wear. As I said, a different take on rose which is pleasing and satisfying to pick up in the air around you. Unfortunately I find it’s missing something, I pattern I’ve noticed with many Atelier Materi fragrances. They’re all really well made but seem to lack a bit of life behind them.

Poivre Pomelo is a lovely peppery citrus scent which is both refreshing and tantalising for the senses. It’s dominated by a very realistic grapefruit note - capturing both the sweet, juicy aspect of this glorious fruit alongside the bitter rindy side to it as well. The vibrant kick of pink and black pepper tingle at the nose, contrasting the sweet fruitiness of osmanthus which is reminiscent of soft dried fruits. A dry, earthy base of mate tea and Vetiver round out the scent very nicely too. This scent is great for the summer, it’s refreshing and sophisticated without being just another boring citrus. It’s got some deeper complexities which are really enjoyable, but for me there’s something missing to make it a true love - and yet I can’t quite place what it is.

Bois d’Ambrette is an interesting scent, as it is unusual for a fragrance to lead so heavily with ambrette as the centre of attention. It’s definitely woody and musky, but with a definite green bitterness about it too - I’m on the fence. The ambrette in here is very dry, slightly earthy and made a bit damp with generous green nuances from the addition of Angelica. This delicate muskiness is elevated through soft synthetic musks, alongside the sharp touches of mandarin, ginger and amyris. The overall scent profile is very clean, pleasant and mild whilst still maintaining an element of uniqueness about it. I’m going to decide that I do like this fragrance, but it wasn’t an instant connection - which is how I know it isn’t a true love. I think this is a great reference fragrance for those who want to better familiarise themselves with the note of ambrette, but it’s not good enough to warrant the price tag.

Santal Blond is one of the more well-known fragrances from Atelier Materi, but in all honesty I think it’s overhyped (usually by shills who have been gifted the fragrance through PR). It’s a pleasant enough sandalwood scent, but there’s no real presence of life or passion behind it. It starts off innocent enough with the revitalising combination of zingy bergamot and clean jasmine, before the sandalwood kicks in. The sandalwood here as a subtle air of that pickled sourness similar to Santal 33, but far more gentle and much creamier. The soft sweetness of tonka and cardamom rounds things out nicely too. Overall it’s a nice scent as I said, there’s just nothing special about it. If you like Santal Complet, I feel this does the same scent profile but better - however it’s still not anything I’d rush out to buy in all honesty.

Vienna 1900 made me realise there’s mint perfumes, and then there’s MINT perfumes. The mint in here is brutal, obnoxiously strong and in a lot of ways simply too much. However, it does smell amazingly natural and vibrant, like the leaves are right there in front of your nose. Matthew Meleg claims to use 3 different types of patchouli here, although does not list exactly which types. Given patchouli is a part of the mint family, I can see how seamlessly it integrates with the mint and provides that punchy earthiness to the scent. This dark, earthy aspect is elevated by a very subtle dark chocolate accord, which isn’t too noticeable to me. Overall this is a very interesting fragrance. I don’t like mint at the best of times and so this simply isn’t wearable for me, but if you’re a lover of mint this is undoubtedly one of the highest quality examples of it I’ve ever come across.

The name Mushin represents a state of serene focus: calm, tranquility and mental clarity. I would say it definitely does just that, wearing this perfume is incredibly relaxing and has that ever elusive ‘zen’ feeling to it. The scent is composed primarily of an incredibly soft and smooth frankincense which is dry and airy, contrasted by the sweet fruitiness of osmanthus, apricot and peach. Gentle powdery florals and a creamy amber base finish the fragrance beautifully, leaving an gorgeously smooth and subtle sillage behind you. Personally, I feel this scent is too gentle and airy to warrant a full bottle purchase, however I cannot deny its beauty. I will very much enjoy wearing my sample on days where I need a little serenity in my life.

Honey Deer Musk is one sexy perfume, and I don’t use that description lightly. It’s sweet, alluring and captivating all in equal parts, with an element of classical French perfumery behind it which tickles that particular spot in my brain. Seeing both real deer musk and civet used here you might expect something very challenging and animalic, but it’s not. Instead the animalics are very tame and subtle. The notes listed here on fragrantica are only a fraction of what’s actually in here. This scent is actually constructed similarly to a classical Chypre with a mossy, amber base. The beeswax gives the scent that honeyed feel, it’s intensely sweet and erotic alongside the musks. Overall, I think this is a fantastic fragrance. If you’re looking for a scent which truly embodies everything about natural deer musk then this is not it, but if you’re looking for a complete perfume with endless versatility and won’t offend everyone around you whilst using real musks, you’re in luck.