Eleventh Hour Byredo 2018 Eau de Parfum

One of my recurring nightmares, not too often, but now and then, involves images of giant tidal waves racing towards the shore and burying us without a chance. "Eleventh Hour" taps into similar myths, (primal) fears, and premonitions; or at least its name is oriented in that direction. That it is almost too late and that we have been violently destroying our unique planet for decades should be known even to the biggest dimwit (Trump excluded for now), and that it might already be too late to change anything is also clear.

However, this still quite fresh Byredo is anything but a pessimistic apocalypse scent that screams "after me the flood." It is a very green, spicy fig-rum cocktail that does not suit me at all. It solidly captures the hopelessness and fear, the alcohol consumption, and the escape to higher green mountain ranges. One should stick to that thought. But there are definitely more fun and pleasant associations that a fragrance can evoke and should...

On a purely olfactory level, this Byredo also appeals to me less. As always, it is made with high quality, a fine "blend" so to speak, but I still do not like figs in my perfume. In "Eleventh Hour," a triumvirate of pepper, fig, and rum sets the tone. And it does not hold back... Cinnamon associations also spread among me, though rather green and spring-fresh tinted. A very textured, enticing paradise scent, surely a hit for many, but in ME it only creates a migraine paradise that I can hardly wear. And fragrance reviews are, after all, highly subjective and personal. Those who like tangible figs must test it. And even face the apocalypse... ;-)

Bottle: nordic by nature
Sillage: breathtaking at first, then quickly subdued
Longevity: 7 hours but very comfortably

Conclusion: if the world ends, then one can get drunk on rum and smell like figs. Or something like that. But even if the sky falls to the earth, I will not become a friend of "cowardly" scents anymore... sorry.