Douleur!2 Bogue 2020

When a fragrance is shrill and demanding, yet strangely attractive, even overwhelming, then it is “Douleur!”. The first time I tested it, I was equally fascinated and repulsed - a fragrance so screechingly loud, yet quite artfully composed, is rarely found under one's nose.
But 'loud' doesn't have to be bad, especially since its loudness comes with a colorful vibrancy, overflowing temperament, and contagiously good mood: a scent like a hysterical fit of laughter.

Above all, “Douleur!” is a fragrance by Antonio Gardoni, which means: it is complex, challenging, and definitely refined and sensual. A scent that shows it was not hastily conceived and thrown together, but rather matured, even if Freddie Albrighton once described the creation process as “crash, bang, sparks... and finally we had Douleur!”.

This witty statement from the well-known English tattoo artist reveals quite a bit about the fragrance, where a considerable crash of daring notes occurs: there’s a lot of melon in play, plenty of mint, salty sea breezes, penetrating rosy-floral accords, bright glaring metal, heaps of cotton candy, and a good amount of civet.

It truly goes “bang” when this apparent olfactory cacophony meets the mucous membranes of unsuspecting noses, causing them to reliably buckle, seeing only “sparks”, or stars (as noted in many comments about this fragrance).
However, once I regained my senses, this wild ride actually became a bit addictive. Because even though the fragrance is excessively loud, the notes shrill, garishly colorful, and daring, the sweetness almost instantly causing toothaches, this crazy mélange still smells damn good.
At least I think so. It smells so good that I joyfully sniff along with the lively activity on my wrist.

So far, so great, but I have not managed to go beyond a small 1.5ml sample of this fragrance. The sheer presence of this scent ultimately took me down as well - and I am quite accustomed to strong fragrances! But if a small, spray-misted droplet is enough to quickly fill an entire apartment with “Douleur!” aroma down to the last corner, then, yes, I must concede, as much as it pains me.

However, Messrs. Gardoni and Albrighton had a moment of insight.
While they may have had a lot of fun developing the fragrance - I think you can smell that! - the volume control slipped from their hands in their joy of the creative process.
So they sat down again and remixed the fragrance. Essentially, not much has changed. “Douleur!” is still “Douleur!”, the scent remains loud, wild, daring, sweet, and animalistic, but everything is in a new balance. The overdriven parts have been somewhat toned down, the aching sweetness slightly softened (after all, the fragrance is called “Douleur!”, it wants to hurt!), while the mint is now more accentuated.
A small, but not insignificant facet has been added: the spicy-camphor-like scent of tea tree now wafts through the sweet-fruity, minty opening with subtle streaks. So, not a big deal, just a small aromatic addition that grounds the overflowing activity a bit.

That oysters are now also said to be part of the formula (according to a Facebook post by Freddie Albrighton) I consider a gag, albeit a funny one.
I love oysters! Probably Antonio and Freddie do too. Who knows how many oysters made their way down their gullets before they came up with the idea that the salty facets of “Douleur!” actually have something oyster-like: as if one were slurping a plate of these wonderfully fresh, salty sea breeze-tasting shells right in the middle of a fair, surrounded by all the cotton candy stalls.

Despite what I consider a successful recalibration of the “Douleur!” theme, one must not forget: “Douleur!” is still, even in its revised form, a loud, garishly made-up, brightly dressed diva, or if you prefer: divo, who can easily overshadow everything and everyone - only now the walls are no longer about to burst.
While the fragrance still has a presence and longevity that can be intimidating (it lasts for weeks on clothes!), the nerve-wracking, ear-splitting hysterical fit of laughter has now turned into a loud, but above all, contagious laughter.

In other words: "Douleur!" is now more wearable, without the concept suffering.

Bravo!