Le Pavillon d'Or Dusita 2019

Rarely have I experienced such a stark contrast between the top and heart notes of a fragrance as with Pavillon d’Or, and along with that, a drastic turnaround from “not at all” to “somehow very beautiful.” What I smell during the first half hour after spraying evokes a shady, green park. The mint is likely responsible for this, possibly in conjunction with the thyme. However, I cannot perceive the mint as such. Instead, the scent reminds me a bit of ivy growing in places where the sun rarely reaches and it is always a bit damp. This is certainly not meant negatively. It smells fresh, green, and moist in a homely, entirely un-exotic way.

Unfortunately, the fragrance is personally unpleasantly sharp for me at this stage. I have the same issue with the scent of real ivy, so it may be due to a very individual aversion on my part. During the first test spray, I had already written off Pavillon d’Or because the sharp green is dangerously close to the headache threshold.

But then something extremely interesting happens. Relatively seamlessly, the green opening gives way to a beautiful floral scent. I wouldn’t have thought of honeysuckle on my own; however, it is absolutely plausible, as I seem to perceive a slight honey sweetness typical of honeysuckle.
I had to look up Boronia, as I was not familiar with it at all. Commonly referred to as “fragrance star,” I read that the plant is native to Australia and Tasmania, its extract is quite expensive, and it emits a pleasantly floral-herbaceous scent. Although an exotic element has been integrated with Boronia, the overall impression remains entirely Central European for me. It smells subtly but spicy of meadow flowers, mixed with the honey note of the honeysuckle. No heaviness, no loud tropical blooms, but summer meadow.

While the fragrance is cool to damp-cold in the initial phase, it has turned 180 degrees in the heart note and is now spicy-warm and slightly powdery, with the heliotrope noticeably softening the initially sharp scent for me. The floral heart lasts about 4 hours, during which it becomes increasingly close to the skin. Only towards the end do I perceive a slight woodiness. I couldn't identify sandalwood here, but perhaps it contributes to the scent becoming increasingly creamy towards the end.
The longevity is in the middle range for me (about 6-7 hours), and the sillage is noticeable but not loud.
Overall, the first association I have is of a perhaps somewhat overgrown park, with shady corners and a few sunny spots where the flowers grow. Calm and idyllic and entirely situated on this continent.

Pavillon d’Or is an unusual fragrance; I wouldn’t know where I have smelled something similar before. I probably wouldn’t wear it, as the scent language doesn’t quite fit me. However, I find it remarkably noteworthy in its versatility and uniqueness, and I would definitely recommend testing it for that reason alone.