Uncommented fragrances No. 139
Anyone who has read my comments or blogs from time to time knows that I am a great friend of classics and that a glance at my collection is enough to confirm this. Now classics have the disadvantage that they are a dying species. More and more are being put on the black fragrance list because they contain ingredients that IFRA classifies as critical and which are consequently hardly processed. One after the other of the famous names disappears from the picture or is reformulated beyond recognition. The last option is the meticulous study of the vintage market, visiting flea markets or relevant internet forums. At some point you are through and know almost everything the market has to offer in former times (Excursus: If you don't believe that, you might want to look at my test list). But I'm very happy about every tip of pearls not tested so far). But where does the future of fragrance lie when the past is sufficiently known?
If you follow Luca Turin, which I (in contrast to many critics here in this forum) have done again and again with profit, you can see that the recommendations in his first fragrance guide (2008) consistently list almost all available classics: Mitsouko, Shalimar, Chanel No. 5, Jicky, White Linen, Eau Sauvage and some modern classics like Cool Water and Timbuktu, to name just a few.
The second guide (2018), ten years after the publication of the first one, was eagerly awaited by many, because after all the relevant classics had been discussed, only the view of the present remained. But while many readers had expected Luca Turin to turn to the high-priced niche market, his criticism of fragrances from Roja, Orto Parisi, MFK and others was contrary to expectations. Rightly so, it seems to me (often). Since the current mainstream market offers no alternatives, the question arises as to where interesting developments can ultimately be found.
In his guide, Turin recommends a look at small and very small manufactories. However, caution is advisable here as well, because some of these backroom companies seem to want to sell the willing customer everything that he thinks is an exotic find. Nevertheless: Especially in this segment there is one or the other ray of hope: Annette Neuffer, Baruti, Dusita, Francesca Bianchi, Jean-Michel Duriez, Mendittorosa, Papillon, Parfum d'Empire, The Zoo (I will only list a few important small brands here, in particular those for which I follow Luca Turin in my judgment).
But what comes after 2018? Here, too, a look at Turin's homepage can help and abbreviate the most time-consuming searches for the latest hypes on various blogs. The fragrances most recently recommended in LT's blog are the following (with stars, although I ignore the less well rated fragrances): Andy Tauer Les Années 25 (
*), Frassai Teisenddu (
), Chatillon Lux Lamplight Penance (
; reason for this comment), Masque Romanza (
), Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex (
). By the way: A Xerjoff described there received only a few stars (*): provocative, but understandable.
Here, too, it is noticeable that Luca Turin turns to the outsiders, the smallest brands, the manufactories, while expensive niches or mainstream fails. To cut a long story short for some of the above: I also recommend Teisenddu and Tyrannosaurus Rex, find Romanza and Les Années 25 exciting - and got stuck especially at Chatillon Lux' Lamplight Penance. Not because I think this fragrance is better than the others recommended above, but because it is far removed from most of the fragrances I know.
Lamplight Penance is first of all one of the few current fragrances that still know a real fragrance development. Neither the postmodern niche nor the mainstream market will focus on development in 2019, but on monothematic recognition. This can be understood artificially (in terms of clarity, structure, sobriety), but also economically (in terms of a quick purchase decision: everything must be immediately present when I let the scent spray on the back of my hand between the morning meeting and lunch). Lamplight Penance avoids this olfactory transparency and initially hid behind a tingling, somewhat mineral opening, which soon makes it clear, however, that there is much more to it than that. Basically, the fragrance is even overloaded, contains too much - and less would probably have been more. After the mineral tones I perceive an alcoholic note and more and more such a density that one can hardly isolate the ingredients mentioned above. If I wanted to assign a colour to the fragrance, it would be earth brown, whisky brown, coffee brown, wood brown, balsam brown, oil brown or the brown of an antique piece of furniture. Basically, I cannot isolate light fruits or flowers. Perhaps they are decisively involved in the overall impression, but that can hardly be said with certainty. After a while the fragrance still develops a fine balsamic sweetness (I wouldn't call it resin), with which an animalic tone (musk) resonates, which is not always pleasant for me, but which fascinates me, as it is more often the case with dirty musk.
By the way, I think the scent is better if you wear it on textile. On skin it develops more colourless. Care should be taken with light-coloured fabrics because the scent is really brown and heavy and could leave stains. Since I'm not a shelf life fetishist, on the contrary I appreciate a rather short shelf life, I notice that the fragrance may last a little too long for me, but is far away from oily penetrance.
In the drydown, the fragrance is mainly woody, with a balsamic note that lasts for a long time. Other brown tones (coffee, whisky) then said goodbye. The animalistic keynote continues to resonate. Nothing for friends of uncomplicated wearable à la Sauvage / Bleu, nothing for fans of common niche à la Marly, nothing for lovers* of pale synthetic à la MFK, perhaps most comparable with the very rich Rojas - or in a positive sense with the excellent scents of Annette Neuffer, even if they seem more charming to me. I would only give the fragrance a 7.5 rating, but have increased it to 8.0 because I am irritated by the fragrance. I like that one.
Top Notes 
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Base Notes 
