Veni Histoires de Parfums 2013

On a bed of amber (Amber gris), we find galbanum, cardamom, saffron, lavender, cinnamon, cloves, guaiac wood, patchouli, vanilla, caramel, benzoin and oak moss. The composition is rich, balanced and of high quality, a lot of noble ingredients mixed with a perfect balance, giving the whole a mysterious, complex, sophisticated and enjoyable accord. From beginning to end, you feel that all the notes are present from beginning to end, but not all of them are in the same intensity and quantity. I prefer wearing this perfume at the beginning of spring with cool, sunny days.

The evening sun just before it begins to set in a reddish hue. The sun has already lost its dazzling brightness and unbearable heat, now bathing everything in a warm, golden light. The ideal moment to find peace.

This moment has been almost perfectly captured for me in Veni.

Veni is a beautiful, not too bright spicy fragrance with a wonderful balsamic foundation.

The top note is primarily dominated by cardamom and cinnamon. Lavender plays no role at any time for my nose.

The spice combination remains recognizable for me all the way into the base, but it significantly decreases in intensity with the heart note. Saffron now provides a pleasant powdery spice, while clove and wood can only be vaguely sensed with a lot of goodwill.

None of the base notes stands out for my nose. Veni concludes with a beautiful, spicy soft, and above all warm fragrance accord.

I would describe the sillage of Veni as subtle, and I find the longevity to be very good at 12 hours.

Despite the emerging tranquility, Veni still has enough refinement to prevent it from drifting into the ordinary or even boring.

Anyone who enjoys spicy fragrances should also take note of the entire Gold series from the brand.

The lush gold of the bottle already announces it:
With shining, gold-glimmering armor, Julius Caesar storms into the field as a self-assured conqueror with the famous "Veni, vidi, vici."

Right from the start and without much ado, the glorious potentate throws his strongest and most experienced allies into the fray at the very beginning.
Impressively, with powerful hoofbeats, the military legates ride in at his side; here the old warrior Patchouli and the seasoned veterans Musk and Amber, there the cunning and agile leaders from the eastern provinces: Cardamom, Saffron, and Cinnamon.

“Veni,” “I came,” his entire presence fills the room immediately and captivates one; one is almost blinded by his appearance.
Everyone rushes towards you simultaneously, swirling up a lot of fine, powdery dust that instantly clouds all your senses. Soft and seductive, it wraps around you, it is wonderful, radiant, velvety, healing, delicious.
You know right away, or rather, I knew right away, that there is no point in resisting, no fight, no opposition. It is best to surrender to the inevitable and capitulate; the credit card served as the white flag. Caesar had won.

Just as Caesar's successful propaganda served to rhetorically underpin his claim to power, so we find ourselves facing a rhetorical; or today one would say; marketing trick.
Once the dice are cast, the contracts signed, and we have made the purchase, we realize that this spectacle is a grand staging.
Undoubtedly brilliant, but the sustainability of Caesar's territorial conquest leaves much to be desired. After a relatively short 2 to 3 hours, the ruler loses interest in our lands and evaporates.
At first, one is disappointed, where is the shine of the empire? Only later does the suspicion creep in that this might also be a blessing. Having such a potentate constantly in close proximity can be quite exhausting in the long run.
It is quite nice to be able to decide for oneself when Caesar may go on his victorious campaign again.

"Histoires de Parfums" has paid tribute to the dream of many men with three fragrances from its "Édition Rare":
"Veni - Vidi - Vici!"
Yes: "He came - he saw - he conquered!"
Who can say that about themselves?

"Veni" has come to me as a sample and already evokes certain associations, vivid images through its name:
"Vieni!" - Come! Come! - Southern men master these two syllables grandly.
They probably absorb them with their mother’s milk. I wouldn’t be surprised.
From "Vieni, Ragazza!" of the young gentleman to "Oh, Bella Signora: vieni con me!" of the experienced seducer.
Imperial à la Kant ("V i e n i !!!") or whispering like lovesick street cats - the call remains the same, repeating itself for centuries!
We "females" react ...
It is very enticing and also entertaining to watch the young and old roosters as they try to outdo each other with the most beautiful "peacock tail" among their peers!
"Look at what I’m doing: Pay close attention!"
How enticing "Don Giovanni" sounds when he wants to convince Zerlina: "Là ci darem la Mano ..." (Give me your hand, my life; come to my castle with me ...)
The beautiful peasant girl is not averse; she is delighted; she is flattered - she hesitates: she wants to marry her Masetto, this wonderful rugged lad.
"Vorrei, e non vorrei ..." (I want to and I don't want to ...).
Don Giovanni, one of the most infamous and fascinating seducers of Italian opera, still holds out hope. Does he, the gentleman!, not have the "right of the first night" - los primae noctis?
Thus, his coaxing, his whispering becomes more intense, the air around the two thickens, vibrates:
"Vieni, Vieni!"

Well, Gérald Ghislain does not let his excellent fragrance composition "Veni" whisper tenderly, nor seduce subtly: "Veni" is immediately present in full spice and unmistakable power!
Cardamom, cinnamon, and lavender initially come across almost meekly, but are transformed into the first powerhouse by a magnificent portion of galbanum.
Wow! This is an opening after my heart; it does not just want to be circled around - it wants more!
A refined conquest must be learned, "Veni" does not need to give back its tuition fees.
It has successfully learned its lesson; it is a master of its intensely fragrant craft.
I love the spicy garden clove: it is tender and not boring at all.
Even if one initially remembers it as a bouquet for grandma's Sunday coffee invitation. That - and a little baby’s breath as a companion - will probably stick with it forever.
The clove, in the language of flowers of the Renaissance a symbol for betrothed, can do more: we only need to recall its seasoning power in the kitchen - strong and aromatic!
Skillfully used, it can delight the senses - and they really do not lack skill at "Histoires de Parfums".
Thus, the clove leads the already surprising entrance into another dimension; it takes saffron along for the ride - the gate to the Orient is now wide open.
Smoky, earthy, and mysterious - often with a slight hint of rose - guaiac wood strides proudly through this gate - already more of a triumphal arch!
The first fanfares sound; they know when it is time!
Oak moss and vanilla - two opposites that always attract harmoniously - open the impressive finale.
Musk in an appropriate dose paves the way for noble resins: dark golden amber glow, benzoin, and other spicy-resinous secrets (some with slight thorns!) form a strong alliance and finally meet patchouli!
Patchouli: golden brown and flowing smoothly, sets additional fragrant lights. The little fireflies conquer the fragrance space once again: they can be relied upon!
As a highlight, caramel - seductive and sweet and thoroughly feminine - enters this fragrant stage! Women simply love caramel; it doesn’t matter in what form it comes - it wins!
"Veni" thus becomes softer; the previously somewhat dark, almost masculine-magical vibrations lose their occasionally present hard edges.
"Veni" is now polished, beautifully refined, and, despite its strength, cuddly!

The longevity is not infinite: here this fragrance creation shows its first and only weakness!
But we still have some shared sensual, curiosity-arousing hours: I will always enjoy them to the fullest!

"Veni" has already caught me as the first part of the mentioned trilogy "in its clutches".
Its fragrant golden chains do not cut in; but they do show: "You belong to me!"
A fragrance macho, a magician, a connoisseur: how can I resist him?
For a while, I will follow him to his castle, without considering any potential consequences.
So be it!

"Veni" stays with me; "Vidi" is still with Meggi and will one day arrive here.
I’m already looking forward to it and saying "Thank you" in advance.
I am convinced that "Vici" will also be found in the form of a sample.
Should I perhaps try some coaxing?
"Allora: Vieni! Vieni!"

In a fit of "I have to try this," I ordered 6 original samples from Histoires de Parfums - including Veni. I can't even remember how many times I've tested the scent so far; somehow, it just hasn't really revealed itself to me.

The opening is dominated by lavender, with the freshness of a men's Eau de Cologne, before quickly transitioning to galbanum. I can't detect any cinnamon or cardamom here.

The heart note is also puzzling: garden clove? saffron? No chance, as the prevailing resin note is too loud and thus dominant. Perhaps there's a hint of woodiness, but I'm not sure.

Not to mention the base - none of the listed notes are really perceivable. Only a now fading green, smooth and soft like moss, still plays a bit of a scent role here.

Fortunately, the sillage is limited, so Veni doesn't come off as unpleasant to others. However, the longevity is abysmal for a fragrance in this price range.
After just a few hours, there's only a very weak, hazy remnant on the skin, pleasantly green and smooth, but indeed very weak.

Somehow, I can't shake the impression that as long as the bottle looks good, the contents become less important...