Series 2: Red - Palisander Comme des Garçons 2001

First Scene - A rural idyll, over gently rolling fields there is a lovely, mild breeze, mingling with the faintly perceptible emanations of straw bales and cow dung. In the brilliantly blue sky, a few clouds pass by, hardly noticed by the human eye. Church bells and rooster crowing in the background.

Second Scene - Through the airy twilight of a Far Eastern Shinto shrine, a gentle breeze sweeps, softly carrying the breath of red wood, the smoky undertone of the sacred place, the scent of straw mats on dusty ground.

Final Act - The market hall of a small town in Northern Italy. Leather goods of all colors and styles pile up on top of each other. The scent of white flowers from the flower stand next door hangs in the rutting air. You step outside, slightly overwhelmed. The olfactory sensation accompanies you for a while, now noticeably more playful and pleasantly carefree.

Series 2: Red - I would have gladly and unconditionally included Palisander in my collection before testing it. The name promises polished, softly shimmering precious wood, a linear fragrance experience of a special kind, refinedly embedded in exquisite spices.

After getting to know it a bit more closely, I consider Palisander to be less essential than I initially thought. This is somewhat tragic, as I would like to attribute equally original and successful attributes to the opening and middle parts of the fragrance. The harsh fall comes with the base note - surprisingly, as I am usually someone who indulges in a successful conclusion. In this case, however, I initially find the last third to be increasingly exhausting, before Palisander then bids farewell in a somewhat agreeable mediocrity. It's a shame, the finale tarnishes an otherwise quite positive overall impression.

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Epilogue: I am currently noticing that the term "cow dung" I used in the first paragraph is being disproportionately highlighted in some responses to my comment. This is understandable and legitimate, but I would like my review not to be understood as a critique of the fragrance. The mentioned scent note has encountered me several times before, primarily in the segment of oud fragrances, and as so often, it is all a matter of dosage. In the case of Palisander, I find it enriching and in no way repulsive. I had more difficulty with a leather note that I perceived as prominent in the later development of the fragrance, which significantly unsettled the otherwise harmonious overall impression for me. But again, the ideal is to test it yourself; the fragrance is definitely worth it :)