Lavanda d'Oriente Esperienze Olfattive

Lavanda d’Oriente opens with a blast of pure, powerful, natural lavender, rich in nuances from balsamic to herbal, from citric-astringent to woody, passing through aromatic, floral and earthy facets. You can tell it’s raw and natural by its “full” presence, raw and nude, also comprising its more indolic, sour, dark sides. A less soapy, less “romantic” lavender than usual, quite more savage, biting and organic. Plus, it lies on a mossy-earthy base accord comprising something similar to civet (cistus, I guess), a bit camphoraceous and a bit “urinous” and skanky, which together with vanilla and a faint nuance of amber creates a mood that brings Lavanda d’Oriente close to dusty, nostalgic, “dirty” chypres like Jicky. Finally, it’s not among the notes listed (and I guess it may be just another facet of lavender), but I also get something like black tea, with its peculiar aroma halfway smoked dry leaves and fruity echoes. All smells great, sharp, deep and clear, from cistus to oak moss – to lavender, obviously. All is simple and crystalline, but rich and dense, evocative and terribly pleasant to wear. The evolution is finally solid as well: it gets darker, drier, more astringent and tending more to spices and woods – less floral-aromatic, shortly. Great longevity. Like Spicy Lavender, this also shows a peculiar sort of nostalgic, “modest” personality, slightly outdated in a totally positive and fascinating way. One of the stand-outs of Roberto’s line so far from me, a honestly-priced must for all lavender enthusiast (and chypres’ fans too, perhaps).

8/10