Kurai

His name is Pierre, from Africa. He has quite a reputation. Today I finally met him, after hearing all these legendary stories. For a moment I thought we were going to be buddies. But after a while of close interaction, he got on my nerves. I mean he got all rubbery on me and I hate that. Plus he got saffron, he is full of it. Turns out he is not quite the guy I thought he was. Not my Pierre.

The market for discontinued gems is a whole different world than the luxury boutiques offering the latest hypes. Vintage perfume conventions, shady Souk interactions, online exchange groups. While for some all that is an inseparable part of the perfumed journey, for me it is too much of a hassle. For Oudh Infini I made an exception, though, and I could not be more excited when I finally found a full bottle on offer. This has a legendary status in some circles. For good reasons, if you ask me.

The oud of choice is bold as hell, to say the least. It introduces itself with quite the dramatic entrance and as it warms up on skin becomes increasingly manure-like. At the same time there is a huge floral side to the perfume even during that overwhelming first phase. Both the oud and the musks boost those florals - rose particularly - to incredible levels. Ultimately, when the oud has settled into a more polished shimmer, a magnificent sandalwood note emerges adding the necessary warmth and softness into the composition.

The oud plays a significant role but only to bring out the best of the rose. On me this is a full-on floral perfume. A statement piece that is both daring and dramatic, leaving an unforgettable impression. Absolutely worth the scavenger hunt.

Oooh what a surprise! I was so not expecting this. With lilac as a theme, my mind was set for delicate pastel-tinted scents like "En Passant | Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle" and the beautiful "Collection Héritage - Vacances (2015) | Jean Patou". This is nothing like that at all.

Lilac Love starts with some powdery florals thickened with a mixture of amber, tonka and vanilla. This settles into a half gourmand half floral-amber profile, where the cocoa -to my nose- is the dominant note in the first phase, while the lilac starts to really bloom in the drydown. It seems lilac fits surprisingly well in a full-bodied winter fragrance. In the end the profile is quite common given nowadays trends of semi-gourmands and abundant use of cocoa powder. On the other hand, the note clarity in the top/mid and the solid amber base create a sense of quality and comfort that elevates this above the average high-street genre.

To me the best part is the opening, where the top notes are heavy and kind of all over the place but still manage to gently click into place. The scent profile down the road is not exactly unique but really comfortable nonetheless.

It cannot be denied that Bortnikoff offers decent perfumes each with unique and well-composed character. I have had a good time wearing a number of them, but somehow did not really click with any of them. With "Amber Cologne | Bortnikoff" and "Musk Khabib (Extrait de Parfum) | Bortnikoff", I am still on the fence even after several revisits. "Oud Monarch (Extrait de Parfum) | Bortnikoff" has the most mesmerizing florals but lacks some lower-pitched notes. This one, however, is stuffed with low-pitch notes like balsams and resins. On top of that, the choice of florals is really nice. For a moment I thought this may become the one for me.

Right from the start, L'Heure Exquise brings a sense of darkness. Its opening is balsamic with a dry cocoa and a profound oud. The clove is strong but its sharp-spicy edge is somehow softened. The floral notes of champaca and jasmine emerge slow but steady. They are not as mesmerizing as the tropical flowers in Oud Monarch, but interesting the least. Bortnikoff did not hold back on the camphor - an acquired taste to some - which connects the woods and balsams nicely.

While the scent progresses the florals and cocoa fade first, leaving behind a blend of balsams, clove and camphor. That sense of darkness I had only gets stronger. In a warm kind of way, not smoky or anything goth. These notes, I found them so interesting at first but the longer they last the less they captivate me. Knowing that this drydown is going to last for several hours does not help at this point.

So that still leaves me without a Bortnikoff I call mine. I am off to another revisit of Musk Khabib. Maybe I can make up my mind this time.

It seems Olfactive Studio works with the big names of the industry; Duchaufour, Ropion, Lorson, Fontaine. Yet, somehow this brand never really appealed to me and I kind of ignored it so far. But when I read they called in Corticchiato for this job, I realized it is time to get acquainted. Smoky Soul is the first perfume I tested, so I do not know if it represents the house style. At the same time I do not recognize anything typically Corticchiato in this either.

Smoky Soul comes across as a focus on black tea. Several components are brought together: Smoky woods, spicy black pepper, dusty patchouli. The clarity of each of these notes is impressive. At the same time they are fit tightly into a frame that represents the smoky Lapsang accord. Dark and smoky, but not too dense. Especially in the first minutes the smoky-dusty-woody feel is highly reminiscent. There is a lovely radiance that -for a change- does not come from bergamot but from osmanthus.

There is little to no development. The smoky and dusty parts wear off, but nothing new emerges to replace that. In fact every note wears off pretty fast. It feels like a lot of effort went into getting that initial shot of smoked tea right and much less in the development over time. Not that the drydown is a generic base musk or anything, nothing like that. It still scores high in clarity and radiance, but that is to be expected with a fragrance high on osmanthus and vetiver. I had hoped for a bit more perfumey composition and drama. Oh well.