Epimedes

In a brief introductory twist, St. Barthélemy treats you with a bit of mouth-watering, fruity and slightly sour dessert, but you can sense right away that the real thing is still to come. Then, jasmine shuffles to the front, sweet at first, then more of a muted kind, like the jasmine you can smell from an oldish bag of scented tea leaves. It smells natural and unpretentious – I like it a lot. Gradually, the trio of patchouli, sandalwood and white musk take over. The combination is impeccably blended and performs very well. The patch is doing the lead while sandalwood and musk provide supporting vocals and are hard to discern at first – but sandalwood becomes more prominent with time, especially on the second day. Yes, longevity is that good.

If you like patchouli, appreciate the mind-balancing qualities of the traditional Indian incense, or simply are into natural scents, this fragrance will likely appeal to you. I find the treatment of patchouli quite interesting here: the right amount of sweets, jasmine and clean musk take away the dirty vibes from the patch. But it's there, and a good dose of it, too – be careful when spraying to avoid staining light-colored fabric.

Apart from the first few moments, the sillage of St. Barth is well controlled: this is clearly a perfume designed for the pleasure of the wearer. Overall, I think it leans more towards the masculine side. Paradoxically, the fragrance is calming and at the same time has an edge in it that makes you want to put on some well-worn sandals, a simple linen shirt, and take a walk around town getting things done.

I happen to like quite a few of Ormonde Jayne's scents and find them rather elegant. Zizan is the most uncompromising, stereotypically 'masculine' scent of the whole lineup so far. The top notes include a combination of citrus, juniper and clary sage that are pleasant but undistinguished. What I don't like is how it develops later: sort of a rough rugby match of notes, with pepper and cedar dominating. I've been waiting in vain for the promised vetiver to appear in force; it is lurking around here, but is being constantly pushed back by these two guys. I can see how some people might like this scent, but Zizan's play is just too harsh and chaotic for me.

I am really underwhelmed by this one. The scent has some sweet musk in it and a rather synthetic smell of lacquered wood, but it must be brimming with Iso E Super or a related compound, an overdose of which makes me feel unwell if I am not outside or in a well-ventilated space. The overall development is very linear and longevity is good. I tried this several times and each time ended up with scrubbing it off (but the stuff has a tendency to cling to my skin).

Here was my voyage: departing one night with a guy called Terre (who smelled like incense and rambled on about how he detested spoiled oranges), arriving next morning in a company of two sisters, Preparation Parfumee (nee Navegar) and En Passant...no, wait, that can't be true, 'cause they were both called Olivias. I can't really remember what happened in between, but who can say it wasn't a fun trip?