Sycomore Chanel 2008 Eau de Toilette

DISCLAIMER: My sample vial broke and I had to pour it all on me or lose the juice, so this review is based off of one wear. One very thorough wear in a very cold and dry climate (it's -20°C outside as I write this).

Sycomore opened up much lighter than I had expected, which is not a bad thing. I am usually averse to aldehydes, but they only seem to appear in a supporting role to the top notes' pepper, lighting them up and preventing the spiciness from becoming stifling. The woods are discernible from the beginning as a faint background presence, and to my nose, juniper dominates. If you have never smelled juniper wood, I recommend you try to find a piece of it -- it smells gorgeous in its own right, and the note in Sycomore is pretty faithful to the real thing. Violet (as the only floral note listed) accents it very well.

In about 40 minutes, along creeps vetiver that gives this perfume a fuller body and a more defined woody quality. Three hours in, it's a soft woody vetiver, and not overpowering in the least despite my erratic application. I couldn't detect any tobacco -- it could be the dry, cold day, or maybe it's just well-blended. Sandalwood (Australian?) is not clearly discernible as an individual note, but I assume it's what gives Sycomore a slightly powdery, creamy feeling.

Sycomore is beautiful, unisex, and wearable. I would have like just a little bit of plush leather to round it a bit more, but this is a beautiful perfume in any case. Not sure if it goes up on my buying list, but now I am curious to try Encre Noire. Another perfume this reminds me of in the drydown is Bvlgari's Omnia with its tender woodiness -- it sure comes a whole lot cheaper than Sycomore despite being now discontinued.