Kovex

The new range of Sorcinelli fragrances, consisting of 8 different fragrances with expansive large blessing hands as bottle lids. Some find the design bizarre, others find it fascinating, from tasteless to stylish. Everyone will have a subjective opinion here and the range is likely to be wide.

Memento - Latin, to remember.

The memory of living in the present, enjoying the moment, being aware of the fleeting nature of time.
Remembering the feelings burned into the soul, laughter, tears, happiness and sorrow. The soul constantly whispers the stories of the past.
Memory as a blessing to be aware of your value and the importance of your path.
Memory as a key to a lock to live your dreams, to heal wounds.
The memory as an invitation not to forget that trust must be greater than the suffering we sometimes experience makes us believe.

Eight fragrances inspired by famous places that represent the experience of faith and devotion to it. Sacristies, the side rooms in churches where priests and priestesses prepare for services and where all the objects needed for the service are kept. Often also the place of spiritual and mental preparation for what may follow.

Is it all marketing jargon? You can see it that way - but you don't have to.
Filippo Sorcinelli's life plan, complexity and versatility can be seen in his CV. An artist through and through. And isn't looking at artists through different eyes what shifts the perspective, makes new views possible, opens up new possibilities for thought? Exciting. What would life be without art? The creation of a perfume can also be art, far removed from commercial guidelines and market surveys. Interpretation and approach are up to the individual.

Sacristie des Arbres - the forest

A place full of wisdom and secrets. A place where nature seems to speak with its peace and beauty. Get in touch with the trees, listen to them and try to understand their silent lessons.

As is usually the case with Sorcinelli, the fragrance starts with an inverted olfactory pyramid. The mint, used quite defensively here, in combination with equally subtle pine initially provides an invigorating coniferous freshness and goes perfectly with the incense, whose restraint immediately leads to a very contemplative fragrance impression. This has a very calming, almost meditative and contemplative effect on me. I would already like to attest to the fact that Sorcinelli has perfectly captured the theme of the forest, with its scientifically proven positive effect on the soul. The fragrance has already completely taken me in, playing up and down the keyboard of my preferred scent preferences. Wonderful.

The first impression of the fragrance lingers for quite a long time, the green of the mint and pine gently recedes, the (coniferous) woody impression with subtle incense remains until the end. Thankfully, I can't detect the Damask rose at any time and I don't miss any offensive sweetness that would have done the fragrance any good.

However, this only changes as the fragrance progresses, when the interplay of ambrette (slightly musky, reminiscent of ambergris), benzoin (sweet, resinous, balsamic), amber (warm, woody) and vanilla creates a beguilingly smooth and attractive fragrance impression. The incense, Sorcinelli's preferred fragrance note, acts here as a bracket around all the other notes, holding them together and ensuring that the basic character of the fragrance shifts in a sweeter direction at best, but never deviates from the basic theme of coniferous wood, forest, contemplation and tranquillity.

Sacristie des Arbres completely convinced me, not only as a fragrance, but also in its advertised thematic reference to religious localization. For me, this is understandable.

How did Gerhard Richter, Germany's most popular painter, once answer the question of how he would interpret his painting? "I only paint. I leave the interpretation to others."

I'm happy to go along with that.

Those of you who test a lot know it. You often think: I've seen it before, I've done it before, it looks familiar somehow. A certain fatigue sets in. Until, yes, until you come across another gem that overturns everything and you're glad you haven't given up hope of finding a real gem.

Indigo Smoke is such a little miracle for me.
I'm neither a tea connoisseur nor a tea drinker, and I don't get excited when a tea is listed in the fragrance pyramid. It's different with Lapsang Souchong tea, which is grown exclusively in the province of Fujian/China. I'm not surprised, as this tea is characterized by a smoky note and I usually like smoky aromas.

Lapsang Souchong is basically a black tea that is first smoked over spruce wood and pine roots, then roasted in a pan, rolled, oxidized and smoked again to give it its special aroma, which is reminiscent of a campfire and almost overshadows the actual taste of the tea.

In contrast to my esteemed previous reviewer Intersport, I perceive this smoky note very clearly shortly after spraying on the fragrance. Smoke despisers can breathe a sigh of relief, however, as this is all very socially acceptable and a far cry from calibers such as the Beaufort fragrances. Especially as the main protagonist of the fragrance enters the stage quite quickly, the apricot accompanied by a citrus freshness.

Normally, this should set alarm bells ringing for me. I know apricot primarily from classic women's fragrances of the past (which often have a rather feminine effect) or in the context of modern sweetened fruit bombs like Xerjoff, which are not my cup of tea. All the greater the surprise, and yes, I go into raptures, this smells simply stunning. They left out the fructose, the apricot is almost cool and refreshing and contrasts perfectly with the initial smoky aroma.

Cassia, a laurel plant and relative of cinnamon, which tastes rather tart to bitter-tart, forms a nice counterpoint to the existing fruitiness and complements the apricot with a fine and subtle spiciness.

In general, all the ingredients are well measured and carefully used. Woods only form a basic structure as a base, incense only gently wafts through the other fragrance notes and airs them out a little. Only the apricot remains a constant presence throughout the fragrance and never becomes too sweet. This makes it absolutely suitable for warmer temperatures.

The sillage is moderate and yet you get a lot out of the fragrance yourself over many hours, as it is far removed from the usual fragrance patterns and that is precisely what makes it so appealing to me. On the one hand, it is quite pleasing and should not offend or attract attention, on the other hand, it smells so distinctive and unusual that it always gives you pleasure when it brushes past your nostrils.

The only thing that is somewhat difficult is sourcing Arquiste fragrances, as neither the company's own online store nor the online retail partners listed deliver to Europe. Many of the perfumeries listed on the website in the respective European countries only have a limited selection of Arquiste fragrances. But as you know, if you really want a fragrance, you will get there, even if it takes some effort.

The brand hasn't disappointed me so far and with Indigo Smoke it has even totally thrilled me, especially if you've already smelled a lot of things and don't want to follow the mass-compatible fragrances anymore.

In recent years, fragrances from Ramon Monegal have come under my nose from time to time. Even if all of them have left a good impression on me, but none was there that put me in enthusiasm. Probably the reason why I have not yet dealt more closely with his person. That should change with The New Paradise.

I was at least not aware that Ramon Monegal is also one of the heavyweights in the perfume industry.

His ancestors founded already in 1916, the Unternehme Myrurgia, which produced not only drugstore items and perfume, but also paints and varnishes and developed over time to the court supplier of the Spanish royal family and the most important international perfume company in Spain.

In the fourth generation, Ramon Monegal began his training in 1972 in Barcelona and continued with renowned greats of the industry in Geneva, Grasse and finally Paris. That his path led to the top of the family business Myrurgia, which was acquired by Puig in 2000, seemed inevitable.

However, when you have supposedly achieved everything, you aspire to higher things, which culminated in his founding his own perfume brand in 2008 (other sources indicate 2009) with the desire to create fragrances under his own name without the guidelines of third parties and characterized by artistic freedom.

In this context, there is a beautiful quote from him:
"Next to nature, my most important source of inspiration is literature. I can turn words into notes, phrases into chords, stories into compositions, and ink into imagined perfume."

The New Paradise is the first of his fragrances I tested that grabbed me immediately. Ok, that wasn't too hard, because fig scents usually have it very easy with me. But it is not a fragrance that puts the fig in the center, but initially starts only with the typical green unsweet fig note. This is accompanied by a nice bitter citrus note, as I like it so much. The fern I do not really smell out, next to the fig he could strengthen the green impression, however.

Unlike many other fig fragrances, however, this is not a soliflor, because soon rose and jasmine contribute very aromatic floral notes, but by no means drift into the feminine, because sweetness I can attest to the fragrance at no time even if other testers (see statements) had a different impression. In my opinion, the fig prevents exactly that, it remains the perception namely long, which is me and my preference for fig fragrances of course very accommodating. Lily of the valley in fragrances often provide a certain coolness, which also comes into play here and in turn prevents it from becoming too sweet or feminine, so that the fragrance is rightly classified as unisex.

There is then not much more going on. Oak moss frames the fragrance impression green and slightly tart. Warming amber I can at best guess in the base, but in the blind test I would not have guessed him.

Overall, The New Paradise seems very "perfumey" to me, a term that has been discussed more often in the forum, since everyone here understands something different about it. For me, this means that the fragrance does not act like a second skin on me, as if it would merge with me. I rather feel scented. You can perhaps compare this to a man who normally wears jeans and a t-shirt/hoodie and is now suddenly put into a fine suit. It pinches and constricts, is unfamiliar, maybe it even feels dressed up. Eventually, however, he realizes that a sublime sense of style and chic creeps in, and then the learning to appreciate begins.

Whenever I move, The New Paradise blows around my nose like a foreign body and I try to find out the origin of the fine fragrance until I realize that it is me who smells so good here ;) Now is that bad that the fragrance does not melt into me? Not at all! on the contrary, this recurring fragrance prepares me every time a joy and conjures up a smile on my face.

Thus, in the end, I also understand the initially clumsy name of the fragrance The New Paradise:
"Utopia of a new paradise. Impressionistic return to nature. Harmony between plants and new molecules. For me, the idea of paradise, like the best utopia of nature, always provokes the attempt to interpret it. To unite in perfect harmony the pure joy of the senses, flowers, fruits, woods and roots, like an allegorical nectar of optimism and well-being."

Patchouli Intense is for me an exceptional fragrance among patchouli fragrances. Because while most patchouli fragrances show an earthy and often also sweetish agreement, which sometimes seem a bit grungy and often create associations with incense-stick-laden hippie shop aromas, the patchouli fragrance created by Patricia Nicolai is characterized by an exquisite elegance, which I have not yet encountered.

So far, I know about a dozen of her fragrances and if I discover a commonality again and again, it is exactly this noble and subtle elegance that is found in all her fragrances again. This may not be surprising insofar as she grew up as the niece of the legendary Jean-Paul Guerlain in a perfume dynasty, which is rightly still one of the most established fragrance houses today.

After training as a perfumer, she first gained practical experience by working with international perfumers on behalf of renowned fragrance houses. In 1989, she finally founded her own label together with her husband and immediately one of the first creations from her hand, New York, is considered by the renowned biophysicist and perfume connoisseur Luca Turin as one of the greatest fragrances in perfume history.

I mean, Patchouli Intense is right up there with New York. Declared as a unisex fragrance today, in my mind's eye I see a wearer in an evening gown and stilettos or a wearer in a fine tailored suit and welted leather shoes. The scent goes as little with sneakers and hoodie as caviar goes with tomato ketchup.

Patchouli Intense opens with a combination of lavender and a viscous orange concentrate, which leads to the fact that the lavender is deprived of the typical herbaceous-green note and the orange, the fruity-tangy citrusiness is taken. In other words, neither the lavender nor the orange are easily recognizable, but together they create an independence that I have never smelled in this form. Whenever I have a hard time identifying and dissecting individual scents, I know that a high level of understanding for the ingredients and artistic master craftsmanship come together here, inspiring a professional as much as a layman like me.

I am quite honest, I would have had to make out individual fragrance notes in a blind test, I would have recognized at best the rose geranium. For me, the most masculine of all flowers, as it is rather aromatic-spicy in appearance, rather than being floral. It also bears no resemblance to rose fragrances, although the rose is also used here without being overtly recognizable. And the eponymous patchouli? As already mentioned at the beginning, no earthiness for me, nothing animal-frisky and probably more fixateur than an independent dominant fragrance note to be.

The additional designation "Intense" seems justified to me. Patchouli Intense is a powerful and persistent fragrance that I tend to think of as being on the masculine side. This is not surprising in that the fragrance before it was changed to the EdP variant, originally appeared as an eau de toilette under the name "Patchouli Homme". Nevertheless, I am sure that also very many ladies could find pleasure in the fragrance.

For me, the fragrance is a masterpiece, created for the great moments of life, but that does not stop me from enjoying it again and again alone for me.

Sometimes it feels like certain scents have found their way to you without you ever looking for them

I can no longer remember how I came across Miguel Matos, probably as so often, as an enclosure of a nice fragrance mail, which animated me to order a sample set of the own brand appeared under his name. That was olfactory new territory for me and creative in the best sense, even if no fragrance of it could animate me to a purchase.

A short time later, a brand appeared under novelties here on the home page under the name "The Scent". And again Miguel Matos is with two fragrances with in the game, which I have also tested and assessed with the same result as above. And a short time after that, the comment of a parfumo I hold in high esteem about a fragrance (in the extrait version) that was the winner of the "Art and Olfaction Awards 2020". Young Hearts, that is, by Miguel Matos. Can this still be a coincidence?

Miguel Matos shows up on Instagram as a modern hipster in his prime. Black scruffy beard, some bizarre tattoos and brimming with masculinity attributes. I sincerely hope he's not one of those hipsters who starts crying when sweat washes the anti-aging eye cream off their eyelids in front of their pupils while exercising, instead of being a bear-hunting grim recluse. But opposites can be charming and yes, I admit it, in my bathroom is also eye cream ;)

Young Heart comes in 3 versions. The EdP version reviewed here, an Extrait which doesn't seem to be available at the moment and the Pure Essence version. Fragrance oil concentration and accordingly the prices in ascending order.

Young Hearts EdP starts green, unusual and different. Already at the beginning will divide the spirits, some will turn away and ask "what is this?", the others will be enraptured "wow, that's something new".
With me immediately a rubbery glue association spreads. Glue in which green flowers and leaves were soaked for weeks. Flavored glue so, penetrating, expressive, extraordinary. Synthetic? No, but also not really to be associated with natural aromas known to me. At most, I could identify galbanum here. That it's also described as gum resin reinforces my initial glue association.

Even though rose plays a small role here, I wouldn't consider the scent floral. Rather, oakmoss seems to put a stop to any sort of sweetness or florality. The tartness, however, is not off-putting or austere like many chypre scents, but perfectly balanced. Chypre at all: according to the website, this is supposed to be a modern interpretation of the theme. In a blind test, I probably wouldn't have guessed a chypre, Young Hearts is too independent and different. So it's true what it says: this really is a very contemporary variation of the old theme. As it progresses, everything calms down a bit, becomes softer, more accessible without changing its character. A development of the fragrance towards other fragrance spectrums I can not detect.

The projection is perfect, in my opinion. Young Hearts is not a fragrance to be worn on its own. He is definitely also perceived by the more distant environment without exuberantly radiating (prudent dosage provided). The durability I also feel very satisfactory, Nachsprühen is not necessary here in the course of a working day.

Although my fragrance collection covers a very wide spectrum of my various preferences Young Hearts is a solitaire, which adds new facets without being even remotely similar to another of my fragrances. Never before have I smelled anything similar. The more often I wear the fragrance, the more I like it, the otherness becomes more familiar, the fascination remains.

Miguel Matos is for me a star and the perfumers. With numerous creations in recent years, he is a stirring artist (currently 49 fragrances since 2018) who currently seems to be going full throttle. Just now, another 4 fragrances have been released under his own brand. For me, it's only a matter of time when Victor Wong of Zoologist and he get together to get a new beast up. At least I would like that very much, logical it would be all.