He loves autumn walks in the forest, cold air, smoke ... With these preferences, Yann Vasnier seems almost predestined to create a modern autumn fragrance.
Jo Malone's "English Oak & Hazelnut" was brought to me by my penchant for good, natural wood notes. I found the idea of creating a fragrance from English oak and hazelnuts fascinating.
The reviews also made me curious. Wood, but with green - I found that exciting and new. The fact that some people rather associate the fragrance with a British landed gentry in the tweet and consider it masculine, I naturally suppressed.
The olfactory experience of oak and hazelnuts was important to me. Whereby it should be green hazelnuts. That sounded interesting. How do green hazelnuts and English oaks smell? I tried to remember. The old hazelnut bush in my grandmother's garden in Hamburg. When I was there in summer, the hazelnuts were not yet ripe, but you could already see them clearly. Fresh and light green they grew on the branches and seemed to get bigger every day. But I never sniffed them.
With the oak tree I thought of walks and encounters with venerable, old oak trees that were so old that one went or walked there especially to see them. Then one sat down next to or under them, tried to feel their energy, perhaps make contact with the tree soul, which was unimaginably old for us, and imagine what this tree had not already experienced. These were often awe-inspiring moments. Of course I had never noticed a special oak scent. Only the usual earthy freshness that these trees radiate. But Yann Vasnier, with his trained nose, probably smelled out more.
In the course of my research on EOH, I learned that it is not supposed to be fresh but roasted oak wood. Hm. Does that mean that oaks have to die for this scent, or are we content with joinery waste or cut branches?
Whatever. Perfume is always an illusion until you know it. Scent takes you back to reality. To iris, gentian, lavender, jasmine, roses and many other plants, which have to lose their lives in the extraction of a natural scented oil, as well as various farm animals for our diet, if it is not vegan.
As for the roasted oak wood, it is in any case obtained from wood chips that are washed and then roasted at high temperatures, I read. This procedure is supposed to produce a rich, smoky-sweet aroma.
EOH had been on my wish list for some time when an opportunity arose to buy a small bottle at the souk. Autumn was just around the corner - what to wait for?
On the one hand, I had some illusionary ideas about the fragrance, but on the other hand I had no concrete expectations. Did EOH meet my expectations?
According to the scent pyramid, the fragrance begins with green hazelnuts. The heart note is mainly aromatic cedar wood. Only later, in the base, does the proud oak appear.
The fragrance starts green and woody. That's not much of a surprise to me. Rather the almost alcoholic-hot freshness, which becomes noticeable here. The green notes announce themselves with a restrained, natural sweetness.
At first, the scent is refreshing, but for me it is still a distinct autumn scent that reflects what you get to sniff during an autumnal walk on the countryside on a blue-sky day at the end of October. What is it? Wood mainly. The star is the oak.
Wood as the main part in a fragrance is quite rare. Mostly wood notes are found in the base, at best in the heart note. But here the wood scent is present from the very beginning - spicy, tart, natural and elegant. It is refined that fresh green notes accompany it. This makes it a rather light, cheerful and yet elegant autumn scent that no one need fear. Anyone who associates autumn with earthy patchouli and mystical smoke fog will not get their money's worth. Everything here is sunny and extremely easy going. I suspect that there is Elemi in play, known as the "light-bringing" resin. It contains woodsy-citric elements and - really only - a touch of incense
The oak or its toasted chips create the illusion of an impressive, large tree still in its leaves.
The freshness gradually acquires something soft, almost creamy, but never gourmand. Instead, I think there are nuances that remind me of vetiver and earthy mosses.
I could imagine that Iso-E-Super is also involved a little bit. Because the fragrance lives a little on contradictions. That makes it varied and exciting. For example, I couldn't decide now whether the fragrance is soft, warm and cuddly or rather cool. That changes. We're also dealing with a perfume that's modern and classic at the same time, cosmopolitan and down-to-earth.
In terms of structure, the fragrance is similar to oak: the course is clearly linear after a relatively short top note. For me, this is also the strength of EOH. It is an aromatic, very natural-looking, light, dry wood scent with accents of forest and moss. It seems to have nothing chemical, "perfumed". A fragrance like a handshake, honest, confidence-inspiring, mature and cultivated. It contains only a few perceptible notes, but these suggest high-quality ingredients, which gives it an impressive simplicity. Its solid durability and silage also speak for its excellent quality. At this price, of course, a matter of course.
Those who want to can sniff out wilderness and adventure. I'm thinking more of tweed, British gentry, solidity and understatement. That may not be exactly my world. I would have liked more depth, something like nature magic, a tiny little secret perhaps, a fragrance that matches the wonderful landscape descriptions of the barren, late autumn moors and heaths in J. R. Tolkien's work. That's it. But here I encounter more of a jovial, red-cheeked country squire on horseback, riding his extensive land holdings with ease.
So that's what happens when a Frenchman creates a fragrance for an Englishman with the English oak at its centre. Is that actually different from the German, Austrian or French ?
EOH is a good fragrance with innovative, original features. And I find it interesting that an autumn scent manages to be for once not earthy and misty. On the other hand, we are, at least I am, strongly influenced by the mystical autumn clichés. It impresses me that they don't exist here, but I admit: I miss them a bit too. I will certainly love to wear this fragrance, but I won't buy it again because it is too masculine, simple and straightforward for me. I'm sure there are women for whom this spicy, tart scent suits them well. I'm thinking of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. But I'm a very different kind of woman...
Lillil13
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Jazzy76
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