Sweetgrass

I received this sample on top of my sample order from ELdO. I put it on and first thought this was another case of mistaken identity, as with Gucci's Guilty and a host of other perfumes with grandiose names and mediocre or outright boring juices. This is not the fallout of an apocalypse, and its half-life is much shorter than plutonium's.

Among the official notes, popcorn and gunpowder are listed. Maybe they're even there, I wouldn't notice from all the other stuff going on in this perfume. La Fin du Monde is a rich, warm blend of spices and woods and a bit of flower, verging on oriental, and if this is indeed the end of the world, I want to live there. Clearly it is less like any of the dystopias that seem popular right now and more like one of the four free houses in DC's Sandman comics, named "World's End"—a rustic tavern lit by oil lamps and fireplaces that is bigger on the inside than it seems, and provides a safe haven for all kinds of creatures ripped from their own worlds by all kinds of disasters; a place governed by its own laws rather than those of any of its guests' mundane realities. It's a perfect fantasy for the cold and dark season.

The perfume isn't very special, though, nor is it groundbreaking, and that is a disappointment from a house that produces scents like Jasmine et Cigarette. Had this been named "A Polar Night's Dream" or something, it would have worked, but on such a warm, nuanced and welcoming scent the radioactivity warning sign is just embarrassing. ELdO should gift it to Thierry Mugler for his Alien range. Nevertheless a good scent, appropriately unisex, and doesn't disappear immediately.

Like Missk, I find this quite basic for a woody oriental. It was a blind buy for me, and I had no real expectations of this scent (sic) or the brand. I am not enamoured, but not disappointed either. Scent is generic, but simple and unassuming enough to really pull it off. I can see this becoming a favoured day scent — a tame oriental for those who dislike florals and aquatic scents, like me. I also love tea. I like it that it hasn't got a huge sillage, like some of my favourites that have actually made my friends sneeze. Nice, sensual and wearable, something I could gift to somebody who claims they hate perfume. However if you want to be memorable, choose something else. The bottle looks nice, but is really awkward to use or fit into my perfume cabinet, sadly.

My sample arrived in an unmarked mini vial without any note whatsoever. I didn't pay any mind to it, thinking it was going to be another sample I was expecting, until I unwrapped the rest of the plastic. I checked that the vial hadn't leaked, because there was a strong peculiar smell about it. It hadn't, luckily, but the scent was still pushing through, maybe some had leaked while decanting.

It's almost midnight now and I just walked home under a perfectly clear starry sky, and put some on my wrist. I've had it on for 30 minutes now and if love or the perfect starry sky above me could be bottled, this is it. It challenges at first, with what I think I already recognize as Sheldrake's strong opening; and it settles down so beautifully I don't even have words to describe it. I had been smelling Jicky earlier, and the semi-sweet harmony in Coromandel's heart hearkens back to it a little. While Coromandel is undeniably a mature perfume, it is, like Jicky, not dated. Rather it makes its wearer feel mature and worldly, yet sensitive and joyous at heart.

The only downside I can think of is that this is not, for me, a day scent. I couldn't imagine wearing it at work for example; I couldn't concentrate, and would just want to be wrapped in this beauty. Coromandel is sensual and intoxicating—but it also demands that you love it back, and give it time to open up to you. I couldn't even think of saying no to that.

Addendum: IMHO this unisex, even though it seems to be targeted for women. I can't think why any guy couldn't pull this off.

The opening of this fragrance is, hands down, among the very best I have smelled so far during my short time as a perfume enthusiast. I do not get a jasmine overload (still an Alien girl), nor is this plainly a woody violet for me. Goes to show how different our noses are!

What I DO get is a classy, subdued yet complex and soooooo alluring spicy-woody and just little bit of floral opening & heart with undertones of the developing leather; on my skin BV dries down (a bit too quickly, for which I docked half a star) to a somewhat pungent mossy leather. Those dry notes stuck to my skin for 12 hours after spraying. I am not a fan of the pungency; however this is a superb fragrance in my book, and quickly becoming my shape-up-and-get-stuff-done perfume. I may have to write to Santa or forego a few restaurant lunches, but either way I need this in my cabinet, and my sample won't last forever.

In short, I love it, and definitely think it's worth a try especially if you're into leather fragrances. Give BV a little bit of time to open up, though: it won't yield all of its glory at first spray.

I loved the floral motifs in the sample card and other marketing materials, and so wanted to like this one! It was not to be, however. I have nothing against florals, but on my skin Florabotanica turned so harsh and so much like soap or room freshener than I had to wash it off and put on some real perfume. Definitely not my cup of tea. Not only is this generic and not interesting (much like Vanitas and the various Guilties), it is also too harsh on my nose and wholly unsuited to the season and/or my personal tastes to warrant further testing.