Top Notes 
Cardamom
Bergamot
Mandarin orange
Heart Notes 
Leathery notes
Fir balsam
Jasmine
Davana
Mahonial®
Base Notes 
Tonka bean
Benzoin
Patchouli
Vetiver
04/21/2025
Ceesie
114 Reviews
Ceesie
3
Leather fruitbasket
Perfumer Gaël Montero sure does love to use his fruity notes. First spray is as if someone puts my head inside a punchbowl at a high school party. That fruitiness never truly goes away but in a couple of minutes it does make way for darker tones like leather and praliné. All together it reminded me a lot of Mosaïque by 27 87, but sprayed on a sweater that has some Haltane on it from the previous day.
Whereas the 27 87 offering draws quite clean between the lines, this one tends to feel more like an artistic drawing. There’s a kind of dirtiness, sweatiness to it that makes it better suited for date night than for, say, the office. They’re both by the same perfumer and I can already hear the Ex Nihilo marketeers call for “something like you did with Mosaique but deeper, darker and richer”. Aye sir, let me talk to my mate Jordi.
For my taste it does feel too deep and dark. I love a duality of smells in a perfume but this one has a note too much to be really enjoyable. In Mosaique there’s a better balance between being fruity and leathery, Chandigarh feels like it has this three-body problem. Add to that the fact that Ex Nihilo is the more expensive brand at almost twice the price, I’ll pass on this one and go with Mosaique instead if I had to make a choice.
Does it last? Yeah you can enjoy it through the day. Nothing special, just average. Sillage? Same story, you need more that 2 sprays to make it noticed.
Apparently Chandigarh is one of the top 10 greenest cities of India. I can’t see the connection with that fact at all. Maybe the jasmine and davana should give a perception of green or floral notes but I don’t detect those, they’re clearly superseded by the heavy notes and that’s a shame.
Whereas the 27 87 offering draws quite clean between the lines, this one tends to feel more like an artistic drawing. There’s a kind of dirtiness, sweatiness to it that makes it better suited for date night than for, say, the office. They’re both by the same perfumer and I can already hear the Ex Nihilo marketeers call for “something like you did with Mosaique but deeper, darker and richer”. Aye sir, let me talk to my mate Jordi.
For my taste it does feel too deep and dark. I love a duality of smells in a perfume but this one has a note too much to be really enjoyable. In Mosaique there’s a better balance between being fruity and leathery, Chandigarh feels like it has this three-body problem. Add to that the fact that Ex Nihilo is the more expensive brand at almost twice the price, I’ll pass on this one and go with Mosaique instead if I had to make a choice.
Does it last? Yeah you can enjoy it through the day. Nothing special, just average. Sillage? Same story, you need more that 2 sprays to make it noticed.
Apparently Chandigarh is one of the top 10 greenest cities of India. I can’t see the connection with that fact at all. Maybe the jasmine and davana should give a perception of green or floral notes but I don’t detect those, they’re clearly superseded by the heavy notes and that’s a shame.
Ceesie
NicheOnly
ProfessorKL
