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The end of the world will smell of popcorn and iris.
How will the end of the World smell like? Each of us has their own different idea (I am guessing that many of those ideas would be influenced by Hollywood productions). Quentin Bisch had had a very untypical imagination of the smell, which had been then transformed into perfumes, which in 2013 Etat Libre d’Orange – a niche perfumery brand added to their portfolio. Bisch is a young and promising perfumer, known to those who have seen Perfume series at BBC. In the show Bisch, as a young Givaudan perfumery school adept, with tears in his eyes tells us how his dreams are coming true to become a true perfumer. This touching the heartstrings scene shows us how sensitive and full of limitless passion are perfume creators and how important these traits are in this remarkable profession. The founder of Etat Libre d’Orange – Etienne de Swardt – had known Bisch even before he joined Givaudan. Bisch had been regularly visiting flag perfumery shop EldO in Paris and introduced himself as a big fan of the brand and de Swardt’s perfumery conception. So when Etienne decided to create a scent inspired by book ”The End of the World Filmed by the Angel of Notre-Dame” Bisch was the first one that came to his mind. La Fin du Monde was the first solo and fully commercial composition made by Quentin. With this smell he proved his undeniable talent. I will say more – he got off to a very good start – as it was a very strong debut!
The start-off stuns with exquisite and at the same time very present-day version of iris (which resembles the one used in Dior Homme), which was skilfully enhanced by carrot seeds that harmonize with the iris perfectly – this was already proved by Rosine Courage in Nirmal for Laboratorio Olfattivo and Bertrand Duchaufour in Bois d’Ombrie for Eau D’Italie. Cumin and sesame brilliantly fulfill the innovative and very eloquent popcorn cord that lends a kind of surprising and intriguing aura(we can also smell the characteristic popcorn butter theme there as well). Popcorn was Bisch’s first idea for the smell. During one of his talks with de Swardt, Bisch tried to convince him that every idea for the end of the World comes from different movies, American movies mostly. Popcorn was an ideal ingredient for this how perverse conception… Ingenious, is it not? I myself like and admire such ideas very much.
With time this very intense at the beginning scent looses its power but is well present within the next couple of hours. It gains warm sensuality due to sandalwood and ambrette, which together enrich the sensual and physical base of the smell(the essence from ambrette seeds was used earlier by James Heeley in cool as Autumn rain Iris de Nuit). The base of the smell is very characteristic and it engrosses as well as stages of the smell. As we can see here La Fin du Monde as a whole smells surprisingly pleasant and at the same time very intriguing as it is very familiar and alien at the same time.
La Fin du Monde wins me over to itself from the very first second till the very last one (the distance is quite far by the way). It is a fantastic fragrance that presents pure perfumery ingenuity. I have not had a chance to wear this kind of scent – created with great passion, inventiveness and fresh look for a long time. Bisch skilfully made a use of well-trodden paths and at the same time found new ones. With great courage he connected uncommon notes in one absolutely convincing whole, that makes fully operational – and what is even more important – wearable perfume, which is far from those niche ”freaks” but perfectly matches the style of Etat Libre d’Orange which is known for its original ideas and brave pushing of boundaries of what is known as perfumes. Quentin Bisch has created fully original, modern and with avantgarde taste fragrance, that is worn with pure pleasure and satisfaction, the one that you have when you wear special perfume.
I do not think La Fin du Monde is either female or male. I would rather say it is bit more masculine only because it lacks archetype female notes, and present iris is totally served as unisex. I would say that more female is Dior Homme, especially when we talk about Intense version of the smell rather than La Fin du Monde, which I think of as an important flask to test not only by those who admire Dior Homme.
main notes: popcorn, carrot seed, cumin, sesame, black pepper, freesia, vetiver, sandalwood, ambrette, iris, styrax, gunpowder
launched in: 2013
perfumer: Quentin Bisch
The start-off stuns with exquisite and at the same time very present-day version of iris (which resembles the one used in Dior Homme), which was skilfully enhanced by carrot seeds that harmonize with the iris perfectly – this was already proved by Rosine Courage in Nirmal for Laboratorio Olfattivo and Bertrand Duchaufour in Bois d’Ombrie for Eau D’Italie. Cumin and sesame brilliantly fulfill the innovative and very eloquent popcorn cord that lends a kind of surprising and intriguing aura(we can also smell the characteristic popcorn butter theme there as well). Popcorn was Bisch’s first idea for the smell. During one of his talks with de Swardt, Bisch tried to convince him that every idea for the end of the World comes from different movies, American movies mostly. Popcorn was an ideal ingredient for this how perverse conception… Ingenious, is it not? I myself like and admire such ideas very much.
With time this very intense at the beginning scent looses its power but is well present within the next couple of hours. It gains warm sensuality due to sandalwood and ambrette, which together enrich the sensual and physical base of the smell(the essence from ambrette seeds was used earlier by James Heeley in cool as Autumn rain Iris de Nuit). The base of the smell is very characteristic and it engrosses as well as stages of the smell. As we can see here La Fin du Monde as a whole smells surprisingly pleasant and at the same time very intriguing as it is very familiar and alien at the same time.
La Fin du Monde wins me over to itself from the very first second till the very last one (the distance is quite far by the way). It is a fantastic fragrance that presents pure perfumery ingenuity. I have not had a chance to wear this kind of scent – created with great passion, inventiveness and fresh look for a long time. Bisch skilfully made a use of well-trodden paths and at the same time found new ones. With great courage he connected uncommon notes in one absolutely convincing whole, that makes fully operational – and what is even more important – wearable perfume, which is far from those niche ”freaks” but perfectly matches the style of Etat Libre d’Orange which is known for its original ideas and brave pushing of boundaries of what is known as perfumes. Quentin Bisch has created fully original, modern and with avantgarde taste fragrance, that is worn with pure pleasure and satisfaction, the one that you have when you wear special perfume.
I do not think La Fin du Monde is either female or male. I would rather say it is bit more masculine only because it lacks archetype female notes, and present iris is totally served as unisex. I would say that more female is Dior Homme, especially when we talk about Intense version of the smell rather than La Fin du Monde, which I think of as an important flask to test not only by those who admire Dior Homme.
main notes: popcorn, carrot seed, cumin, sesame, black pepper, freesia, vetiver, sandalwood, ambrette, iris, styrax, gunpowder
launched in: 2013
perfumer: Quentin Bisch
Purely masculine.
“At first smell” Journey Man seems like a typical Amouage scent – having this woody-spicy and incense character. It is not the first time when the brand uses pepper, incense, musk, ambergris and lots more of other used in this recipe ingredients. It has to be admitted though that the Sichuan pepper essence smells stunningly beautiful, aromatic and vibrating here. Still the start-off would not be like it actually is if it was not for a quite big dose of cardamom, which in this amount appears for the second time in the Omani perfumes (previously, fans of this intense fragrance could be satisfied like that in 2010 when Opus IV was launched). This quite intense and ruthless pepper-cardamom start-off has been coated with a mix of bergamon and neroli. The heart incorporates vibrating molecules of juniper berries, which link the spicy pepper with dry-woody cypriol, smoky incense and strongly present note of tobacco. According to the list of notes we can find also here pure geraniol, subtle rose-smelling molecule that in nature appears, among others, in ripe tobacco (worth noting, cigarette manufactures use geraniol to scent their products). It is clear then that perfumers decided to strengthen and in a way to ripe the tobacco note by adding geraniol. These procedures that consist of mixing the natural aromatic essence with one or more aromatic molecules, which in fact are present in nature but in limited amounts, to strengthen chosen aspects of natural fragrance are quite common in modern perfumery. For the surprisingly strong note of tobacco we have to wait though. In my case it appeared after 3-4h after settling and when there is no more pepper and cardamom going on in the air and the smell itself starts to get more dry, rough and woody-incense. At this stage cypriol can be vividly smelled. This, as it turned out, became my favourite aromatic molecule responsible for this dry, powdery woody tones present in such smells like Opus VI by Pierre Negrin and Dora Arnaud and also Opus VII by Negrin and Alberto Morillas (the same duet that introduced Journey Man), Timbuktu by L’Artisan or deeply regretted Gucci Pour Homme. Nonetheless, Journey Man is partly penetrating similar olfactory regions as Michael Almairac’s perfume so I recommend this scent to all those keen on Gucci.
The base is quite characteristic, mixing sweet and bitter note of strengthen with geraniol tobacco with a characteristic dry and woody note of cypriol. Everything intensified by tonka, musk and ambrox. During the last stage Journey Man resembles some other perfume which I reviewed earlier but unfortunately I cannot recall the name now. Anyway, the smell gets masculine, elegant and intriguing. It is really good. With every next try I come to a conclusion that the tobacco note is the dark horse of the whole composition. The note has been put into the whole smell perfectly, so when it comes to the fore, it smells incredibly – realistically but not in the negative way of course, at the same time it is intriguing and sensual. Above all it is purely masculine.
The so called working parameters of the scent can be classified as very good. Sillage is very good. The smell as a whole is strong and vivid and during the first few hours projects around the bearer within a couple of meters and can be easily noticeable by interested environment. It has been 7 hours after I sprayed it onto me and I can still smell it quite vividly; the smell itself can last more than 12 hours.
I have no doubt that Journey Man is yet another great fragrance introduced by Amouage that is slowly becoming one of my favourites of this brand, right next to Opus VII and Interlude Man. Having it on me is a pure pleasure. It makes me feel really special. In fact that is the quintessence of this hobby…
main notes: Sichuan pepper, cardamon, bergamot, neroli, juniper berries, incense, geraniol, tobacco leaf, tonka, cypriol, leather, musc, ambrox
launched in: 2014
perfumer: Alberto Morillas/ Pierre Negrin
The base is quite characteristic, mixing sweet and bitter note of strengthen with geraniol tobacco with a characteristic dry and woody note of cypriol. Everything intensified by tonka, musk and ambrox. During the last stage Journey Man resembles some other perfume which I reviewed earlier but unfortunately I cannot recall the name now. Anyway, the smell gets masculine, elegant and intriguing. It is really good. With every next try I come to a conclusion that the tobacco note is the dark horse of the whole composition. The note has been put into the whole smell perfectly, so when it comes to the fore, it smells incredibly – realistically but not in the negative way of course, at the same time it is intriguing and sensual. Above all it is purely masculine.
The so called working parameters of the scent can be classified as very good. Sillage is very good. The smell as a whole is strong and vivid and during the first few hours projects around the bearer within a couple of meters and can be easily noticeable by interested environment. It has been 7 hours after I sprayed it onto me and I can still smell it quite vividly; the smell itself can last more than 12 hours.
I have no doubt that Journey Man is yet another great fragrance introduced by Amouage that is slowly becoming one of my favourites of this brand, right next to Opus VII and Interlude Man. Having it on me is a pure pleasure. It makes me feel really special. In fact that is the quintessence of this hobby…
main notes: Sichuan pepper, cardamon, bergamot, neroli, juniper berries, incense, geraniol, tobacco leaf, tonka, cypriol, leather, musc, ambrox
launched in: 2014
perfumer: Alberto Morillas/ Pierre Negrin
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The smell of ebony
Grenadille d’Afrique means as much as “black wood” in Latin. Dalbergia melanoxylon. The tree from which the wood is obtained known as ebony. This ebony and the natural environment in which there were the inspiration for the creation of New York’s latest fragrance by Aedes de Venustas, which had its premiere at this year’s Pitti Fragranze in Florence and soon to appear in selected perfumeries worldwide. Grenadille d’Afrique was created by Alberto Morillas (as Palissandre D’Or from 2015). So it is the second perfume which the Master has created for gentlemen Karl Bradl and Robert Gerstner. Interestingly, both smells really woody and has wood in the name.
The woodiness of Grenadille d’Afrique comes down to his vetiver dominant. Vetiver is present from the beginning, although at first for a short period “refreshed” with the bergamot and eventually supported by juniper, violet and lavender. At the base you can still smell mostly Haitian vetiver, set on a dark, almost charcoal in its character chord composed of vanilla and labdanum. Besides its evident woodiness the fragrance has also a distinctive mineral aura. The just mentioned ingredients accompanying to vetiver work here on the final result, without “taking control” individually. They have been subordinated to the vision of the creators, which in one sentence characterizes Alberto Morillas: fossilized wood rubbed in a vanilla accord
When testing a perfume, I am always looking for comparisons with other fragrances to let the readers not knowing the scent imagine its nature. With Grenadille d’Afrique there is a lot of such to compare. But the most adequate seems to be Encre Noire by Lalique (eau de toilette). Alberto Morillas work reminds me precisely of the cult perfume composed by Nathalie Lorson in 2006. But of course there are differences. In Grenadille d’Afrique we will not find – to my delight – sour notes of Encre Noire and that big dose of cashmeran. The juniper took here over the role of the cypress. Morillas work smells fresher, it s more stylish and seems to be more pleasant and easier to wear, at least for me. It projects politely and lasts on the skin over 8 hours. As a whole, Grenadille d’Afrique convinces me even though it is not so original as Palissandre d’Or and not so mesmerizingly beautiful as Iris Nazarena. Nevertheless, it is a very solid position not only in the portfolio of Aedes de Venustas but also in the family of vetiver centered fragrances.
main notes: bergamot, lavender, juniper, vetiver from Haiti, cistus (labdanum), vanilla, musk
launched in: 2016
perfumer: Alberto Morillas
The woodiness of Grenadille d’Afrique comes down to his vetiver dominant. Vetiver is present from the beginning, although at first for a short period “refreshed” with the bergamot and eventually supported by juniper, violet and lavender. At the base you can still smell mostly Haitian vetiver, set on a dark, almost charcoal in its character chord composed of vanilla and labdanum. Besides its evident woodiness the fragrance has also a distinctive mineral aura. The just mentioned ingredients accompanying to vetiver work here on the final result, without “taking control” individually. They have been subordinated to the vision of the creators, which in one sentence characterizes Alberto Morillas: fossilized wood rubbed in a vanilla accord
When testing a perfume, I am always looking for comparisons with other fragrances to let the readers not knowing the scent imagine its nature. With Grenadille d’Afrique there is a lot of such to compare. But the most adequate seems to be Encre Noire by Lalique (eau de toilette). Alberto Morillas work reminds me precisely of the cult perfume composed by Nathalie Lorson in 2006. But of course there are differences. In Grenadille d’Afrique we will not find – to my delight – sour notes of Encre Noire and that big dose of cashmeran. The juniper took here over the role of the cypress. Morillas work smells fresher, it s more stylish and seems to be more pleasant and easier to wear, at least for me. It projects politely and lasts on the skin over 8 hours. As a whole, Grenadille d’Afrique convinces me even though it is not so original as Palissandre d’Or and not so mesmerizingly beautiful as Iris Nazarena. Nevertheless, it is a very solid position not only in the portfolio of Aedes de Venustas but also in the family of vetiver centered fragrances.
main notes: bergamot, lavender, juniper, vetiver from Haiti, cistus (labdanum), vanilla, musk
launched in: 2016
perfumer: Alberto Morillas
Probably one of the most beautiful perfumes out there
Coromandel refers to Chinese lacquered decorative folding screens of which mademoiselle Coco Chanel was a big enthusiast and collector (and which came to Europe from China in XVII century through ports located on Indian Coromandel cost). Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake created this remarkable scent in 2007 and added it to the boutique and exclusive Les Exclusifs collection. Of course, the inspiration lies here only in the name as the scent does not consist of any wooden, paint or varnish notes, which I myself consider as an advantage.
I remember my first reaction to this smell – I was entranced. I saw a movie about Coco Chanel the next day featuring lovely Audrey Tautou and at the same time I tested the scent on my skin. The experience was exceptional. Synaesthesia worked perfectly. Till this day I am spellbound to it as Coromandel is really a special perfume and despite my proficiency it is really hard to describe it accurately enough. I will try my best nonetheless – still, this is what this blog is actually about.
Coromandel belongs to a woody-balsamic family of scents in which the main role plays patchouli together with resin (benzoin) and incense (olibanum) notes, accompanied by a subtle note of white chocolate. The effect of this composition – made with true perfumery mastery – is utterly resplendent. Patchouli is very charming in itself and can do perfumery wonders if used with moderation and intent. It likes to dominate the whole composition but it also has one magical property: despite its characteristic, bit mouldy, camphor, sour-earthy notes, it perfectly pairs, as it might sometimes seem, with uncommon partners (such as for example caramel ethyl maltol – thanks to which – in simple words – chocolate was achieved in famous Angel by T. Mugler). Polge and Sheldrake took this bit more culinary course but they achieved the balance, they soothed the patchouli oil sharp character with excellent quality resins and balms and – as I think – vanilla. The accord of white chocolate will cause palpitations to every perfumery aesthete and stands as a great counterpoint for patchouli. Luckily Coromandel does not boil over with sweetness. The authors did not overdo with anything apart from exaggerated beauty – this I cannot deny.
Coromandel has this “something” in it. Truly not many perfumes cause this kind of reaction in me. Maybe it simply reminds me of something that I really like or maybe it is just that perfect. The scent evolves slowly, over time the dominant patchouli note retreats, making space for amber note (but what kind of a note!). The patchouli note can still be smelled somewhere in the background though. Not much is happening here but that is good as what we have is absolutely sensational. Without any doubts this is the most beautiful scent with dominant patchouli I know and at the same time I have ever had a chance to wear and test. Absolutely top-end product.
In the Internet Coromandel is compared to Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens, the difference between those two is that in the first one we find white chocolate note and in the other one dark chocolate note. I cannot say much about this as I cannot remember Serge’s composition that well (I tested its micro-sample long long time ago). Still, taking into consideration fact that Christopher Sheladrake took part in the creation of Coromandel, those two scents might indeed be quite similar. I will check that soon enough.
When it comes to quality and usage properties, Coromandel proves perfect here as well. The strength, projection, sillage and finally the lasting-power. Same as it was with Sycomore, we deal with a unisex type of a perfume. Personally I think they are even more for men than for women.
I waited with this review for a long time, being abashed with Coromandel’s beauty. This scent is perfect in every way. It smells luxury – that is for sure, at the same time it stands as an example of quality and moderation. For me everything is ideal here. People more familiar with Channel’s exclusive series name Coromandel as the best one from the whole series. I myself can only compare it to Sycomore and can say that if Polge/ Sheldrake had used in the same brilliant way vetiver as they did with patchouli in Coromandel, surely I would be down on my knees and stay like that from the delight. I must admit that this is what I actually expected as I put my hands on Coromandel first. On the other hand I would not like to diminish Sycomore as it is a great perfume as well.
Wearing Coromandel is an authentic pleasure. Pity that the availability of this scent is so limited, even though that we live in the era of Internet shopping and absolutely no boundaries whatsoever. Well almost…
main notes: patchouli, white chocolate, benzoin, vanilla
launched in: 2007
perfumers: Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake
I remember my first reaction to this smell – I was entranced. I saw a movie about Coco Chanel the next day featuring lovely Audrey Tautou and at the same time I tested the scent on my skin. The experience was exceptional. Synaesthesia worked perfectly. Till this day I am spellbound to it as Coromandel is really a special perfume and despite my proficiency it is really hard to describe it accurately enough. I will try my best nonetheless – still, this is what this blog is actually about.
Coromandel belongs to a woody-balsamic family of scents in which the main role plays patchouli together with resin (benzoin) and incense (olibanum) notes, accompanied by a subtle note of white chocolate. The effect of this composition – made with true perfumery mastery – is utterly resplendent. Patchouli is very charming in itself and can do perfumery wonders if used with moderation and intent. It likes to dominate the whole composition but it also has one magical property: despite its characteristic, bit mouldy, camphor, sour-earthy notes, it perfectly pairs, as it might sometimes seem, with uncommon partners (such as for example caramel ethyl maltol – thanks to which – in simple words – chocolate was achieved in famous Angel by T. Mugler). Polge and Sheldrake took this bit more culinary course but they achieved the balance, they soothed the patchouli oil sharp character with excellent quality resins and balms and – as I think – vanilla. The accord of white chocolate will cause palpitations to every perfumery aesthete and stands as a great counterpoint for patchouli. Luckily Coromandel does not boil over with sweetness. The authors did not overdo with anything apart from exaggerated beauty – this I cannot deny.
Coromandel has this “something” in it. Truly not many perfumes cause this kind of reaction in me. Maybe it simply reminds me of something that I really like or maybe it is just that perfect. The scent evolves slowly, over time the dominant patchouli note retreats, making space for amber note (but what kind of a note!). The patchouli note can still be smelled somewhere in the background though. Not much is happening here but that is good as what we have is absolutely sensational. Without any doubts this is the most beautiful scent with dominant patchouli I know and at the same time I have ever had a chance to wear and test. Absolutely top-end product.
In the Internet Coromandel is compared to Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens, the difference between those two is that in the first one we find white chocolate note and in the other one dark chocolate note. I cannot say much about this as I cannot remember Serge’s composition that well (I tested its micro-sample long long time ago). Still, taking into consideration fact that Christopher Sheladrake took part in the creation of Coromandel, those two scents might indeed be quite similar. I will check that soon enough.
When it comes to quality and usage properties, Coromandel proves perfect here as well. The strength, projection, sillage and finally the lasting-power. Same as it was with Sycomore, we deal with a unisex type of a perfume. Personally I think they are even more for men than for women.
I waited with this review for a long time, being abashed with Coromandel’s beauty. This scent is perfect in every way. It smells luxury – that is for sure, at the same time it stands as an example of quality and moderation. For me everything is ideal here. People more familiar with Channel’s exclusive series name Coromandel as the best one from the whole series. I myself can only compare it to Sycomore and can say that if Polge/ Sheldrake had used in the same brilliant way vetiver as they did with patchouli in Coromandel, surely I would be down on my knees and stay like that from the delight. I must admit that this is what I actually expected as I put my hands on Coromandel first. On the other hand I would not like to diminish Sycomore as it is a great perfume as well.
Wearing Coromandel is an authentic pleasure. Pity that the availability of this scent is so limited, even though that we live in the era of Internet shopping and absolutely no boundaries whatsoever. Well almost…
main notes: patchouli, white chocolate, benzoin, vanilla
launched in: 2007
perfumers: Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake
Olivier Durbano - "Lapis Lazuli" - the scent of ultramarine
This is the twelfth stone in a fragrant interpretation of Olivier Durbano, to the enjoyment of the fans of this extraordinary artist’s talent, including me personally. Many times I have already highlighted the uniqueness of the Parfums de Pierres Poemes collection. Every perfume lover who enjoys original and sublime beauty of perfume should know it. Period.
This time the inspiration was Lapis Lazuli – a stone with a beautiful blue color. The word “blue” not entirely reflects the unusual color of the stone, which was widely used in the Renaissance to obtain extremely valuable pigment – natural ultramarine. This inspiration, of course, is reflected in the beautiful color of the perfume.
Connoisseurs of precious stones assign to Lapis Lazuli mental properties as: supporting in the fight against melancholy, positive impact on the serenity, harmony in dealing with other people, a sense of security. Lapis Lazuli is to strengthen willpower, concentration, intuition, self-confidence, creativity, courage and leadership.
Lapis Lazuli is Durbano I like the most. Cool, mineral, mystical and absolutely different from everything.
The initial smell is a combination of dry woody wormwood (well known to us in a very expressive and raw edition in French Lover by Frederic Malle), with coniferous cypress, tea tree oil and a hint of green herbal thyme spiced up by clove. Rose oxide gives these components a not exaggerated, but clearly perceptible rosy-metallic glow (a stronger and more rose centered one can be found in the phenomenal Opus X Amouage.) So the oxide imprints its mark, but not in an extent to deal here with the aroma of rose, but only with its metallic green memory. The base has woodycharacter and it follows the heart in a very natural way, while still maintaining the main theme of the scent. This is important, because according to me Lapis Lazuli smells at the end almost the same as in the beginning, and the occurring changes – although present – are minimal.
The perfume projects very nicely, without exaggeration but in a noticeable way, sticking on the skin for over eight hours, which completes my high rating. According to me, this is one of the most interesting and one of the best fragrances in Olivier Durbano’s collection. The longer I test it, the more it delights me… Bravo Olivier!
fqjcior
This time the inspiration was Lapis Lazuli – a stone with a beautiful blue color. The word “blue” not entirely reflects the unusual color of the stone, which was widely used in the Renaissance to obtain extremely valuable pigment – natural ultramarine. This inspiration, of course, is reflected in the beautiful color of the perfume.
Connoisseurs of precious stones assign to Lapis Lazuli mental properties as: supporting in the fight against melancholy, positive impact on the serenity, harmony in dealing with other people, a sense of security. Lapis Lazuli is to strengthen willpower, concentration, intuition, self-confidence, creativity, courage and leadership.
Lapis Lazuli is Durbano I like the most. Cool, mineral, mystical and absolutely different from everything.
The initial smell is a combination of dry woody wormwood (well known to us in a very expressive and raw edition in French Lover by Frederic Malle), with coniferous cypress, tea tree oil and a hint of green herbal thyme spiced up by clove. Rose oxide gives these components a not exaggerated, but clearly perceptible rosy-metallic glow (a stronger and more rose centered one can be found in the phenomenal Opus X Amouage.) So the oxide imprints its mark, but not in an extent to deal here with the aroma of rose, but only with its metallic green memory. The base has woodycharacter and it follows the heart in a very natural way, while still maintaining the main theme of the scent. This is important, because according to me Lapis Lazuli smells at the end almost the same as in the beginning, and the occurring changes – although present – are minimal.
The perfume projects very nicely, without exaggeration but in a noticeable way, sticking on the skin for over eight hours, which completes my high rating. According to me, this is one of the most interesting and one of the best fragrances in Olivier Durbano’s collection. The longer I test it, the more it delights me… Bravo Olivier!
fqjcior
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