At it’s core, Baniyas feels intensely regal and middle-eastern with a western, mass appealing spin. All in all this is a geranium and oud focused scent with all the power and intensity you could expect from such a scent, and yet feels surprisingly smooth and modest. The geranium gives the scent this jammy, rosey nuance with some green aromatic touches from lavender and earthy patchouli. This compliments the oud very well, which smells very likely synthetic but comes across very smooth and easy on the nose. The sandalwood and synthetic oakmoss in the base add to the creamy sleek nature of the scent, making for an interestingly easy wear. I greatly enjoy my sample of this, I feel it would thrive in the autumn months where the air has a bite, but the flowers are still thriving. Overall a lovely scent but I don’t feel compelled to buy a bottle, it’s not a true love for me.

Cloud Illusions has one of the strangest note breakdowns I’ve come across, everything seems so random and out of place, and yet it weirdly works in the most spectacular way. I’m no lover of mint fragrances, in fact I usually hate them, but this is a brilliant creation. The mint is definitely prominent - it’s green and bitter with a slight toothpastey feel to it, but it’s sweetened and smoothed out by this incredible bubblegum accord. It really makes the scent feel thick, rubbery and chewy whilst the sweetness is elevated by salty ambergris, blueberries and a touch of Iris. The mint is then furthered by an aromatic whisper of earthy cypress to give it some edge. This is such a unique creation, and an absolutely phenomenal scent. I can’t picture when I’d wear this but it’s not like I’m going to own it anyway what with it being so damn expensive. I’ll enjoy and savour the small sample I have.

Angeliki is an artful and expressive capture of emotion, inspired by the perfumer’s 104 year old grandmother who had a particular soft spot for classical chypre perfumes. This scent definitely lives up to that idea, but with its own unique twist. As expected, the scent is dominated by a dense, earthy yet creamy oakmoss. Alongside this you’ve got bursts of airy aldehydes alongside musky, soapy notes of hyacinth, lilac and an array of other florals. In the base there’s a subtle whisper of smooth animalics and tolu balsam, which is contrasted by the thick, sweet rindy nature of pomelo and apricot. There’s a lot going on in this scent, and it smells phenomenal, but I’ve found I keep reaching for other fragrances when I’m in the mood for a classical chypre. I can see why this scent is so adored, but I simply don’t wear it unfortunately.

Diorissimo is the pinnacle when it comes to lily of the valley in my opinion. Hits refreshingly luscious and inviting, whilst feeling incredibly natural and pure. The scent is almost entirely comprised of this beautiful flower in all its glory. This scent captures every glorious essence of lily of the valley, from the soapy white floral aspect all the way down to the green vegetal stem of the flower. Green notes, bergamot and an array of other florals intensify and support the star of the show, but never show their face. I always considered Les Clochettes du Bonheur to be the best Lily of the valley scent I’d ever smelled, only now do I realise how heavily influenced it was by this masterful creation. I love it.

Dioressence is a beautifully smooth, sophisticated and clean take on a classical Chypre with outstanding quality and an overall incredible scent profile. It starts off very green with earthy patchouli and an array of green leaves and flowers, alongside a hefty dose of soapy aldehydes to brighten it up. From here the dense, rich florals begin to shine alongside a gentle spicy touch of cinnamon. The star of the show here is obviously the oakmoss, alongside patchouli and aldehydes. I find this shades a lot of similarities with the original Miss Dior but this seems to be much brighter and cleaner in a way. I would urge any lover of chypres to seek out this scent, particularly an older bottle where the oakmoss shines proudly. I adore my EDT and can only imagine what the parfum must smell like, a true masterpiece of a scent.

Celtic Rose aims to celebrate the delightful simplicity of the rose flower with little else to distract you from its beauty, I must say it achieves that goal. The rose isn’t thick or jammy, it’s not overly sweet or cloying either - it’s actually balanced to perfection. There’s definitely more notes than what’s listed here. There’s a touch of black pepper yes, but to my nose it feels like there’s heaps of aldehydes and hints of citrus which brighten and freshen the rose significantly. From the name you might expect something dark and floral, and yet this is surprisingly fresh and suitable for spring. It’s not particularly unique or special, but it smells good and satisfies the senses.

As soon as you spray Love Toxin on your skin, the blood red colour of the juice makes it look like you’ve just slashed your arm. At least if you didn’t like the fragrance it would work great for Halloween costumes. I usually despise strawberry accords in perfume, they almost always come across far too plasticky and synthetically sweet, but this here is incredible. Of course the strawberry accord is synthetic, there is no other way around it, and while it has elements of that sweet plastic feel, the quality of everything else balances it beautifully. A heady dose of bubblegummy tuberose, fecal castoreum and hints of juicy peach and plum contrast the strawberry with brutal strength. This then rests on a thick leathery base and soft powdery florals as the fruits and tuberose persist. There are no words which can accurately describe this scent well enough, it’s truly one of the more unique scents I’ve ever tried. Personally it’s not something I’d wear, but that doesn’t take away from the ingenuity of this perfume.

Mortal Skin is one of the more unique creations from Stephane Humbert Lucas, tying in an array of strange and unusual notes and yet has housed them together beautifully. All in all this is a resinous incense-based fragrance; the thick, chewy nature of myrrh, opoponax and styrax mingle to create that incredibly dark yet alluring smoky feel. Alongside this is the dominant note of blackberry, with its sweet juiciness subdued by a heavy dose of thick black ink. This juxtaposes the delicious aura of the blackberry with something far more bitter and brooding. A leathery labdanum and smooth woody base finish this scent of to perfection. This scent is a fantastically though-provoking creation, definitely a fragrance to stand out from the crowd. I’m not sure it’s exactly my style but I can appreciate the creativity and passion that’s gone into making this.

Santi Ana envisions sitting in an old, dusty barn filled with green hay whilst the sun beams through cracks in the roof and the gentle whiff of summer flowers bellows through the air. Words cannot describe how transportive this scent is. The hay is the most dominant note - it’s dry, earthy, slightly green and smells as if the real thing is right in front of you. The juicy freshness of honeysuckle and apple create that imagery of florals on a hot summers day, whilst hints of sweet propolis and sharp mint tie everything together beautifully. This scent is magical, it smells strangely nostalgic and yet I can’t place a memory to it. The quality of ingredients is phenomenal, this is pure artistry but unfortunately you simply cannot justify the insane price for a perfume is more like a memory in a bottle rather than something you’d wear regularly.