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The first victim of modernity I'm willing to recognize
This new Vent Vert broke my heart. In trying to fit in with modern perfumery styles, it sacrificed something beautiful.
My first impression is that this has a narcotic quality that I associate with a lot of florals involving tuberose. I'm captivated by that smell, to the point where I've been trying to figure out what aromachemical(s) is/are involved. The best way I can describe it is "clean cigarette ash." I wish the entire fragrance were this, it evokes an image of a no-nonsense femme/homme/themme fatale. That effect persists through the first half of the heart, which is still not long enough for me.
But allow me to backtrack. Still on the opening, the green-ness is ever so slightly sweet, but quickly becomes more darker, more serious, and more focused. The basil, spearmint, and galbanum (this fragrance has even made me tolerate galbanum!) come in to impart a vegetal quality while still allowing the blackcurrant and the mandarin to play. The jasmine sits in the background and watches, biding its time.
In the heart, the jasmine springs to action. All is well for a while until you realize it brought guests with it, and this is sadly where my "narcotic" effect starts dying out and is replaced with a creamy sweetness that persists all the way to the dry down. It's nowhere near overwhelmingly sweet, but its sweetness deployed a bit thoughtlessly, I assume to keep up with the times and not alienate customers who might be challenged by a persistently green/narcotic fragrance.
I'm a lover of sweet fragrances and I still wish this didn't go in that direction. It's still worthy of testing, and I'm sure I'll add it to my collection, but perhaps only as a travel size.
My first impression is that this has a narcotic quality that I associate with a lot of florals involving tuberose. I'm captivated by that smell, to the point where I've been trying to figure out what aromachemical(s) is/are involved. The best way I can describe it is "clean cigarette ash." I wish the entire fragrance were this, it evokes an image of a no-nonsense femme/homme/themme fatale. That effect persists through the first half of the heart, which is still not long enough for me.
But allow me to backtrack. Still on the opening, the green-ness is ever so slightly sweet, but quickly becomes more darker, more serious, and more focused. The basil, spearmint, and galbanum (this fragrance has even made me tolerate galbanum!) come in to impart a vegetal quality while still allowing the blackcurrant and the mandarin to play. The jasmine sits in the background and watches, biding its time.
In the heart, the jasmine springs to action. All is well for a while until you realize it brought guests with it, and this is sadly where my "narcotic" effect starts dying out and is replaced with a creamy sweetness that persists all the way to the dry down. It's nowhere near overwhelmingly sweet, but its sweetness deployed a bit thoughtlessly, I assume to keep up with the times and not alienate customers who might be challenged by a persistently green/narcotic fragrance.
I'm a lover of sweet fragrances and I still wish this didn't go in that direction. It's still worthy of testing, and I'm sure I'll add it to my collection, but perhaps only as a travel size.