Calabrian bergamot
Bergamot leaf
Gaiac wood
Amber
09/13/2024
Telekinec
486 Reviews
Telekinec
3
Photorealistic calabrian bergamot in all of its glory
When I first heard about the Extrait sub-collection from Art et la Matière, I was a little bit skeptical given the pricepoint. I never even thought about getting decants / samples from that collection because of the money involved. At the beginning of 2024, when I bought Fève Gourmande at Holt Renfrew, I was given three samples of the extrait collection. I stashed them away in my little box of samples, in fear of trying them out and (unfortunately) falling in love with one. I'm not rich by any means, although I do recognise my privilege of being able to live comfortably (and I do have a nice collection of full bottles of perfumes). I've never asked myself what is my limit when buying a perfume, but with those extraits, the question must indubitably be asked.
Thankfully, it's not with this extrait that I'll be asking myself the question. Don't get me wrong. It's a fantastic extrait de parfum, a truly photorealistic rendering of a calabrian bergamot transformed into fragrance. It's tart, bright, juicy, citrusy, fruity. It's got that amazing warmth from the amber and a hint of woodiness from the gaiac wood. I do smell some type of sharp green aspect at the beginning. It's a pretty masterful and seamlessly well-blended fragrance. But... I have to say it's not too far from Aqua Allegoria Bergamote Calabria, a fragrance I already have in my collection. Both have similar profiles and although this one has amazing longevity on my skin, I have to say Aqua Allegoria is overall better in terms of quality vs price. I also have to add that because of the gaiac wood, and the undertone of deep, complex and warm woodiness, the perfume leans more masculine to me. I prefer smelling it on my boyfriend, than on myself, while I prefer AA Bergamote Calabria on me.
I do have to say I'm pretty relieved I won't have to empty my wallet for an extrait. Something can definitely be said about the price of this extrait vs what you're getting and willing to pay. I've seen both sides of the argument. If you're one of the few lucky ones who can spend this much money without batting an eye and have a deep love for fresh, citrusy fragrances, then go for it. If you're part of the mere mortals like me, you might find solace in other citrusy fragrances like I have with AA Bergamote Calabria. One extrait down, a few more to go ...
Thankfully, it's not with this extrait that I'll be asking myself the question. Don't get me wrong. It's a fantastic extrait de parfum, a truly photorealistic rendering of a calabrian bergamot transformed into fragrance. It's tart, bright, juicy, citrusy, fruity. It's got that amazing warmth from the amber and a hint of woodiness from the gaiac wood. I do smell some type of sharp green aspect at the beginning. It's a pretty masterful and seamlessly well-blended fragrance. But... I have to say it's not too far from Aqua Allegoria Bergamote Calabria, a fragrance I already have in my collection. Both have similar profiles and although this one has amazing longevity on my skin, I have to say Aqua Allegoria is overall better in terms of quality vs price. I also have to add that because of the gaiac wood, and the undertone of deep, complex and warm woodiness, the perfume leans more masculine to me. I prefer smelling it on my boyfriend, than on myself, while I prefer AA Bergamote Calabria on me.
I do have to say I'm pretty relieved I won't have to empty my wallet for an extrait. Something can definitely be said about the price of this extrait vs what you're getting and willing to pay. I've seen both sides of the argument. If you're one of the few lucky ones who can spend this much money without batting an eye and have a deep love for fresh, citrusy fragrances, then go for it. If you're part of the mere mortals like me, you might find solace in other citrusy fragrances like I have with AA Bergamote Calabria. One extrait down, a few more to go ...
Liberrita
3aloosh
Andres0719
Telekinec
