TristanKalus

The juice of pungent, tangy lemons splashes out.
I pause and ask: will this test really be worth it?

Pepper trickles into the sour freshness, not a little, it has to be said.
Paired with synthy woods, it becomes trivial - I guess they don't want to take any chances here?

Whether cashmere, guaiac or cedar wood, no differences to recognize.
Only the pink pepper is still burning in my nose.

Thoughts drift between softly rinsed and shower gel scent.
But it slowly becomes more beautiful in the air.

The minutes pass and it becomes rounder and rounder, a little softer.
Dreams of vacation and the sea, my mood becomes lighter.

It becomes even more beautiful with patchouli cream and cistus resinous-fine.
It quickly becomes quiet in the powdery soft musk fluff, that's how it should be.

First disappointed, then surprised, but still not outstanding.
Not an absolute flop, because it changes - I guess you could say that.

Fin.

The sun is high and hot in the sky.
Crystalline sugar sand blows fine over golden dunes.

Leisurely, without any haste, the caravan moves through the sandy valleys.
Saddles velvety soft, made of leather velour richly decorated with ornaments.

Saddlebags on both sides, bulging and filled to bursting point.
Full of treasures, dried fruit and cinnamon, almost overflowing.

Loaded with another, red apples and candied cherries in the pockets.
It smells of caramel and dark leather, I want to catch it with every breath.

The destination is in sight on the horizon, the white sheets of a city of tents.
Another stop on my journey through the occidental worlds.

We are welcomed into the largest tent in this city.
We sit at an Amyris table laden with tea, milk and pastries.

And so the sun sinks behind dunes, warm sand between my toes.
We change our tent for that of the sky, resting before we set off on our next journey.

Fin.

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With Sugar Leather from the Une Nuit À Oman collection, you truly embark on a journey with a caravan through the Omani desert. Fine notes of suede leather are revealed, wetted with sugary caramel. Although the leather notes appear somewhat darker, they are also soft and gentle - in no way does it smell like sharp industrial leather. These are joined by sweet dried fruits and dusty cinnamon, which further emphasize the sweet-spicy base note of the fragrance, but do not allow it to drift off into a sticky, cardboardy sweetness. As the fragrance progresses, nuances of labdanum and amyris can be recognized from time to time, which weave harmoniously into the existing fragrance structure. All in all, Une Nuit Nomade does a lot right with Sugar Leather - a pleasing fragrance profile, with the right amount of niche touches, a good but not penetrating performance at a more than fair price.

The fine crunching of small pebbles on dry ground breaks the silence,
An afternoon in late summer, the monotonous chirping of a cricket.

Velvet-covered shoes of a sultan make their way through landscaped gardens,
A breeze, warm and dry, rides into the scholar's fine clothes.

Rosemary and davana cones also bend in the warm wind,
A whiff of menthol and ethereal takes his breath away for a moment.

Past green hedges of broom, so beautifully fragrant in the sun,
Towards orange trees, plump fruit, sweet scent - what a delight!

Not far from here, the sultan plucks plump blackberries from the hedge,
Currants juicy, sour, taste delicious, that he licks his lips.

His fingers brush cinnamon-dusted rose petals, delicate and very fragile,
It also smells of cloves and celery, subtle and not very much.

Bushes of thick laurel leaves line the edge of the grove,
He smiles smugly, for this land is all his.

Deeper into the weave of resins, woods, mosses.
Yellow gold drips from treetops onto the delicate leaves of bony rock roses.

A chapel from long ago stands in the middle of the clearing,
Fine wafts of incense and myrrh waft from this direction.

The Sultan takes a seat in front of the chapel, sunbeams tickling his face,
And so a fleeting late summer day passes, fades and the story ends.

Fin.

___________

What a beautiful, fragile and volatile elixir Amouage has created here! The latest creation in the Exceptional Extraits range is truly a gift from or for kings. Perfectly balanced, complexly interwoven, sensual, powerful and yet at the same time delicate and as fragile and fleeting as life itself. A dry, herbaceous opening slowly blurs with light, smoky notes of labdanum, then brightens up again with splashes of sweet oranges and dark berries before it becomes a little greener again with a leap into the gorse hedge. Delicate rose petals and a pinch of fine cinnamon flash through the tangle of gorse hedges, before the well-dosed cloves and celery seeds warm the nose. Gradually, cool wafts of incense envelop the senses and prepare everything for the grand finale. A potpourri of golden resins, subtle incense, the finest woods and delicate mosses immerse you in a beautiful grove of venerable old trees. And after the final fanfare of the finale sounds, the curtain falls, leaving the observer with the picturesque impressions of this fragrance experience and lingering as a beautiful yet fleeting memory.

Streaks of sweet jellies of selected dark berries,
Swirls of cinnamon and pepper floating dry through the air.

Thick raspberries and blackberries shimmer through the syrup,
I spoon with pleasure, I won't worry about calories.

But what is this wondrous, sweet food?
It does not come to an end, no matter how quickly and how much I eat.

New berries appear again and again, as if by magic,
But not to my discomfort, my berry land of milk and honey.

The magic seems to emanate from the bowl of jelly,
made from dry cedar and smoked by the incense fairy.

It is decorated with the letters OUD, sparkling golden in the light,
but may I be forgiven, unfortunately the bowl is not made of this.

And because I can't help it, I take it with me into my bath,
And keep on spooning while I relax in the gentle soap lather.

Fin.

___________

With Infusion Velours, I now turn to my second candidate from the Ojar oud collection. As with "Stallion Soul (Eau de Parfum) | Ojar", I can say one thing straight away - unfortunately, it's not an oud again. But let's start at the beginning. The central theme of the fragrance is ripe, dark and above all sweet berries. More specifically, the focus is on raspberries and blackberries. This theme runs through from the opening to the drydown. Although the selected berries appear slightly synthetic, they score with a balanced sweetness and a pleasant acidity profile. Very quickly, dry swirls of pepper and cinnamon ensnare the potpourri of berries and lend it more and more the character of a dessert. This is also reinforced in the minimal transformation of the berry accord to a jelly-like texture and smell. Gradually, cool wafts of incense cloud the overall impression and fine woody accords flash through from time to time in the background. Although these have dark facets, I cannot identify any oud by far. What made me suspicious during all the tests, however, is that after some time, a subtle note of bath foam seems to shimmer through. I can't quite explain this, but it made the fragrance completely reminiscent of a work by Montale - "Oud Dream | Montale". All in all, Infusion Velours is a well-made, quite linear, oriental fragrance with a focus on sweet berries, cool incense and a few woods, which scores with a beautiful sillage and pronounced pleasantness.

First her leg lifts up, elegantly in its entirety, her foot finds a hold on the edge of the tub.
Fine streams of honey run from her flawless body, from her back, décolleté and even from both hands.

The cuddly soft towel falls warmly and comfortably over her delicate shoulders.
Shadows flit across the walls while vanilla candles flicker and crackle under the dark canopy.

Hair and skin wrapped in soft cloths, light steps over warmed sandy floorboards.
She literally sinks into white sheets, reaching for the box of cigars her husband liked.

There is no thought of smoking, much more of sniffing and then dreaming a little.
Light, dry tobacco crackles between delicate fingers, memories begin to rise up.

The scent of tobacco lingers in the air for a long time, enveloping it protectively and bringing back memories.
Of trips to the Orient, of style and charm, of kisses on the neck and nights in hotel rooms.

She lets thoughts be thoughts now and reaches for dessert and a book, it's thundering outside.
White pages pass by while a sweet crust of puff pastry shatters in her mouth.

Her lips wet with streaks of honey, crunchy sesame and brittle tonka play around her senses.
The scent of warm dough with clove and anise fills the room, she stretches and pauses for a moment.

Lightning flashes and thunders outside the windows, raindrops drum gently in peace.
The blanket warms her softly and comfortably, a trembling of her songs and her eyes fall shut.

Fin.

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Guerlain moves with the times - and doesn't. Due to its volume, Guerlain's Tobacco Honey does not really want to fit in with the House's creations, although we are dealing with a thoroughly elegant, sophisticated and timeless fragrance that is so warm and cuddly that it creates an incredibly beautiful feeling of security. The opening is dominated by crunchy, roasted sesame seeds in warm honey swirls and sweet puff pastry with clay brittle. The honey, which is the undisputed protagonist of this work, comes across as light, sweet, natural and a little sticky. Gradually, very bright, light tobacco shimmers through with a hint of aniseed, while notes of cloves can be detected from time to time. As it progresses, sandalwood and vanilla make it ever creamier and softer, until it lies snugly on the skin and exudes a hint of make-up and powder.

In many ways, this may not be a typical Guerlain, but in my eyes it is an incredibly beautiful creation that serves the zeitgeist with its volume without appearing deliberate.