Balsam fir needle
Fossilised amber
Juniper tar
Oakmoss absolute
Siberian stone pine03/15/2025
Mairuwa
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Mairuwa
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In the smokehouse of the Ullr
Yeti, Yatagan, Yggdrasil, Yria. Euphonious names with a Y are popular (not only) in perfumery, as they evoke exotic, if not mythological, associations. The Yves Saint-Laurent brand first acronymized the creator's name to YSL, until finally just one Y was enough to conjure up the myth. There have also been repeated attempts to refine vetiver into vetyver. Oddly enough, hyssop alone has a rather insignificant existence as a fragrance note.
Ydalir. Here we find ourselves deep in Norse mythology. "Ýdalir is the name of the place where Ullr built / The hall" - so it says in Grímnismâl, the song of Grímnir in the Edda. Ullr was a stepson of Thor and Ydalir his home. The name is derived from the Old Icelandic word for yew valley and probably refers to the bows made of yew wood, which are an attribute of Ullr, the god of the hunt. The name is undoubtedly sonorous.
In contrast, I had my problems with Norse mythology for a long time. Probably partly because of Wagner's overly Aryan arias and their pathos, and partly because of their persistent appropriation by the right and the new right. But if you then go to the original sources, you actually find a rather pleasant humor, which is often dark and somewhat coarse, but of archaic force.
"Ydalir" is also dark and somewhat coarse and has a force for which the attribute archaic is certainly not exaggerated. However, this fragrance cannot necessarily be described as humorous. There is nothing pleasing, nothing playful, not even ambiguity.
The fragrance is defined by an overwhelming, dark smokiness that is only brightened at the very beginning by fresh, ethereal highlights of coniferous resins. These light up briefly and iridescently and locate the home of the Ullr quite aptly in cool forest thickets. But as you approach the place itself, the increasingly dominant smoky note leaves little room for any other association than an open wood fire. A little later, the smoke becomes increasingly aromatic and makes you think of smoked ham, which seems quite plausible given the listed note of "smoked juniper tar". A kind of northern version of a gourmand note? Perhaps this is the closest we can get to a hint of irony. In any case, the palace of Ullr is clearly a smokehouse.
The focus on this authentic smoky note elevates the fragrance above any suspicion of being pleasing. The manufacturer's stated aim here was also to create a primal fragrance, and it has certainly succeeded. Was it absolutely necessary to underpin this claim by pointing out that the fossil amber used here is 35 million years old? This superlative could certainly have been dispensed with, especially as the amber base does not play a pronounced role. The consistent reduction is already remarkable enough and anyone looking for an authentic smoky accord in the bottle is certainly well advised here.
If one did not want to be satisfied with such simple, primal growth, but wanted to critically insist on classic criteria for fragrance progressions, one could criticize that "Ydalir" does not express its different facets in a completely balanced way, that the coniferous resinous head is gone too quickly and that the moss and amber base never really becomes tangible. One could come to the conclusion that the whole thing is more of a successful but somewhat monothematic concept fragrance of an aromatic wood fire than an actual perfume. But that's not a bad thing and not bad in itself. In terms of its form of presentation, "Ydalir" is a fragrance oil made from purely natural raw materials; meadowfoam oil was used as the carrier.
Since 2009, Sharra Lamoureaux has been launching fragrances on the market in an almost inflationary manner with her Alkemia label. Parfumo currently lists 586 (!) perfumes from the brand, including a whole range of authentic natural fragrances and original concept fragrances. However, many creations reveal their creator's penchant for the esoteric. Terms such as "mysterious", "magic", "primal", "ritual", "ancient" or "divination" characterize the marketing prose and there are tips on which fragrances suit which zodiac sign. You have to like that. Otherwise, you can selectively ignore it and concentrate on the fragrance itself.
For those who like to listen to something while smelling, I recommend the Ride of the Valkyries in the recording by the Uri Caine Ensemble for better digestion.
With thanks to BeJot.
Ydalir. Here we find ourselves deep in Norse mythology. "Ýdalir is the name of the place where Ullr built / The hall" - so it says in Grímnismâl, the song of Grímnir in the Edda. Ullr was a stepson of Thor and Ydalir his home. The name is derived from the Old Icelandic word for yew valley and probably refers to the bows made of yew wood, which are an attribute of Ullr, the god of the hunt. The name is undoubtedly sonorous.
In contrast, I had my problems with Norse mythology for a long time. Probably partly because of Wagner's overly Aryan arias and their pathos, and partly because of their persistent appropriation by the right and the new right. But if you then go to the original sources, you actually find a rather pleasant humor, which is often dark and somewhat coarse, but of archaic force.
"Ydalir" is also dark and somewhat coarse and has a force for which the attribute archaic is certainly not exaggerated. However, this fragrance cannot necessarily be described as humorous. There is nothing pleasing, nothing playful, not even ambiguity.
The fragrance is defined by an overwhelming, dark smokiness that is only brightened at the very beginning by fresh, ethereal highlights of coniferous resins. These light up briefly and iridescently and locate the home of the Ullr quite aptly in cool forest thickets. But as you approach the place itself, the increasingly dominant smoky note leaves little room for any other association than an open wood fire. A little later, the smoke becomes increasingly aromatic and makes you think of smoked ham, which seems quite plausible given the listed note of "smoked juniper tar". A kind of northern version of a gourmand note? Perhaps this is the closest we can get to a hint of irony. In any case, the palace of Ullr is clearly a smokehouse.
The focus on this authentic smoky note elevates the fragrance above any suspicion of being pleasing. The manufacturer's stated aim here was also to create a primal fragrance, and it has certainly succeeded. Was it absolutely necessary to underpin this claim by pointing out that the fossil amber used here is 35 million years old? This superlative could certainly have been dispensed with, especially as the amber base does not play a pronounced role. The consistent reduction is already remarkable enough and anyone looking for an authentic smoky accord in the bottle is certainly well advised here.
If one did not want to be satisfied with such simple, primal growth, but wanted to critically insist on classic criteria for fragrance progressions, one could criticize that "Ydalir" does not express its different facets in a completely balanced way, that the coniferous resinous head is gone too quickly and that the moss and amber base never really becomes tangible. One could come to the conclusion that the whole thing is more of a successful but somewhat monothematic concept fragrance of an aromatic wood fire than an actual perfume. But that's not a bad thing and not bad in itself. In terms of its form of presentation, "Ydalir" is a fragrance oil made from purely natural raw materials; meadowfoam oil was used as the carrier.
Since 2009, Sharra Lamoureaux has been launching fragrances on the market in an almost inflationary manner with her Alkemia label. Parfumo currently lists 586 (!) perfumes from the brand, including a whole range of authentic natural fragrances and original concept fragrances. However, many creations reveal their creator's penchant for the esoteric. Terms such as "mysterious", "magic", "primal", "ritual", "ancient" or "divination" characterize the marketing prose and there are tips on which fragrances suit which zodiac sign. You have to like that. Otherwise, you can selectively ignore it and concentrate on the fragrance itself.
For those who like to listen to something while smelling, I recommend the Ride of the Valkyries in the recording by the Uri Caine Ensemble for better digestion.
With thanks to BeJot.
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